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Identification of a Complex HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF203_cpx) Originating from Three Main Circulating
Min Chen1,2, Huichao Chen1, Yanling Ma1
1Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Public Health and Biosafety, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China.
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
|July 3, 2026
Summary
A new complex form of HIV-1, CRF203_cpx, was identified in Yunnan, China. This novel recombinant strain, formed from three known HIV-1 forms, highlights the rapid evolution of the virus and impacts public health strategies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Yunnan Province is a known hub for the emergence of novel Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) recombinant forms.
- Complex epidemiological factors in the region contribute to the genetic diversity of HIV-1 strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel circulating recombinant form (CRF) of HIV-1 in Yunnan Province, China.
- To understand the genetic makeup and evolutionary origins of this new CRF.
- To assess the implications of this discovery for HIV surveillance and control.
Main Methods:
- Obtained near-full-length genome sequences from three individuals infected via heterosexual contact in Wenshan Prefecture.
- Performed phylogenetic analysis to determine the distinctiveness of the novel strain.
- Utilized Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis to estimate the emergence time of the CRF.
Main Results:
- Identified a novel complex circulating recombinant form of HIV-1, designated CRF203_cpx.
- CRF203_cpx sequences formed a distinct monophyletic clade, separate from known subtypes and CRFs.
- The genome of CRF203_cpx is composed of segments from CRF55_01B, CRF07_BC, and CRF01_AE, with further recombination events.
- Estimated emergence of CRF203_cpx between 2018 and 2021.
Conclusions:
- CRF203_cpx represents the first identified complex CRF in China involving three distinct parent CRFs (CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC, and CRF55_01B).
- This finding underscores the dynamic evolutionary processes of HIV-1 through multilevel recombination.
- The emergence of such complex strains necessitates updated surveillance and control strategies for HIV-1 in the region.
