Non synonymous substitutions in HIV-1 GAG are frequent in epitopes outside the major hydrophobic region and associated with subtype differences

AbstractIn 2018, an estimated 38 million people lived with HIV-1 infection resulting in 770,000 deaths. More than 50% of this infection and its associated deaths occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. There is the need to develop an HIV-1 vaccine if the epidemic would be effectively controlled. Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes within the Major Hydrophobic Region (MHR) have been shown to be highly immunogenic and immuno-dominant. These conserved epitopes have recently been the focus of vaccines studies. Despite the West African epicenter having one of the highest numbers of diverse circulating HIV-1 strains, very few longitudinal studies have checked the frequencies of CTL immune escape variants on epitopes within and without the MHR for HIV-1 strains circulating in the region.In this study we describe non-synonymous substitutions within and without the MHR of HIV-1 GAG genes isolated from 10 infected Nigerians at the early stages of HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, we analyzed these substitutions longitudinally in five infected individuals from the early stages of infection up until when antibodies become detectable. We identified 3 non synonymous substitutions within the MHR of HIV-1 GAG genes isolated from the early HIV infected individuals. Fourteen and nineteen mutations outside the MHR were observed before and after detection of antibodies respectively while 4 mutations were found within the MHR. These substitutions include previously mapped CTL epitope immune escape mutants. CTL immune pressure likely leave different footprints on HIV-1 GAG epitopes within and outside the MHR. This information is crucial for future vaccine designs for use in the West African region.

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Non-synonymous Substitutions in HIV-1 GAG Are Frequent in Epitopes Outside the Functionally Conserved Regions and Associated With Subtype Differences

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2020.615721 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Babatunde A. Olusola ◽

David O. Olaleye ◽

Georgina N. Odaibo

Keyword(s):

Immune Escape ◽

West African ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

African Region ◽

The West ◽

Synonymous Substitutions ◽

Early Stages ◽

Immune Pressure ◽

West African Region ◽

Hiv 1

In 2019, 38 million people lived with HIV-1 infection resulting in 690,000 deaths. Over 50% of this infection and its associated deaths occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. The West African region is a known hotspot of the HIV-1 epidemic. There is a need to develop an HIV-1 vaccine if the HIV epidemic would be effectively controlled. Few protective cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes within the HIV-1 GAG (HIV_gagconsv) have been previously identified to be functionally conserved among the HIV-1 M group. These epitopes are currently the focus of universal HIV-1 T cell-based vaccine studies. However, these epitopes’ phenotypic and genetic properties have not been observed in natural settings for HIV-1 strains circulating in the West African region. This information is critical as the usefulness of universal HIV-1 vaccines in the West African region depends on these epitopes’ occurrence in strains circulating in the area. This study describes non-synonymous substitutions within and without HIV_gagconsv genes isolated from 10 infected Nigerians at the early stages of HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, we analyzed these substitutions longitudinally in five infected individuals from the early stages of infection till after seroconversion. We identified three non-synonymous substitutions within HIV_gagconsv genes isolated from early HIV infected individuals. Fourteen and nineteen mutations outside the HIV_gagconsv were observed before and after seroconversion, respectively, while we found four mutations within the HIV_gagconsv. These substitutions include previously mapped CTL epitope immune escape mutants. CTL immune pressure likely leaves different footprints on HIV-1 GAG epitopes within and outside the HIV_gagconsv. This information is crucial for universal HIV-1 vaccine designs for use in the West African region.

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The Puzzling Paradox Presented within the African Supranational Judicial Institutions: The ECOWAS Court of Justice

African Journal of International and Comparative Law ◽

10.3366/ajicl.2020.0333 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (Supplement) ◽

pp. 86-109

Author(s):

Kehinde Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

West African ◽

African Region ◽

The West ◽

Political Will ◽

National Courts ◽

Court Of Justice ◽

West African Region

The judgments of the ECOWAS Court, which are final and immediately binding, are vital for the realisation of ECOWAS aims and objectives. The enforcement of its judgments is particularly important in the case of individuals whose enjoyment of fundamental human rights, as guaranteed under the ECOWAS Community laws, is dependent on effective enforcement. Yet, an existential puzzling paradox emanates through a poor record in the implementation of the ECOWAS Court's judgments. This problem, which is not limited to the West African region deserves scrutiny and concrete proposals. Legal and political considerations surface in assessing the existence of this paradox, and despite the lack of a consistent political will, to implement the decisions of ECOWAS Court relevant judicial actors have roles to play. National courts could take a bolder approach in complementing the work of the ECOWAS Court. The ECOWAS Court itself could put in place concrete mechanisms and adopt certain practices to address this poor record of non-implementation. It is yet to be seen how substantive mechanisms would work in practice.

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The AMMA field campaigns: multiscale and multidisciplinary observations in the West African region

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society ◽

10.1002/qj.486 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 136 (S1) ◽

pp. 8-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 117

Author(s):

T. Lebel ◽

D. J. Parker ◽

C. Flamant ◽

B. Bourlès ◽

B. Marticorena ◽

...

Keyword(s):

West African ◽

African Region ◽

The West ◽

West African Region ◽

Field Campaigns

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The early stages of certain West African Mosquitos

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300037536 ◽

1917 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 135-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

A. Ingram ◽

J. W. S. Macfie

Keyword(s):

Central America ◽

West Indies ◽

West African ◽

The West ◽

Early Stages ◽

Specific Determination

Howard, Dyar and Knab in their monograph “ The Mosquitoes of North and Central America and the West Indies,” in discussing the rearing of mosquitos, emphasise the importance of larvae in specific determination. They write (Vol. I, p. 181) “ Many species of Culex are of uncertain determination without the associated larvae, while some Aëdes have identical adults, yet dissimilar larvae. The characters of the larvae reside in the modifications of the chitinous appendages of the skin and the arrangement of the hairs. As these are fully retained by the cast skins, it is possible to preserve both the larva and the adult of the same identical specimen, thus assuring absolutely correct associations.”

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Foreign Direct Investment in the West African Region: Analyses on the Values of Inflow and Outflow

Risk and Financial Management ◽

10.30560/rfm.v2n1p15 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. p15

Author(s):

Yeboah Evans ◽

Yu Jing

Keyword(s):

Foreign Direct Investment ◽

Direct Investment ◽

Developed Countries ◽

West African ◽

Least Developed Countries ◽

Outward Fdi ◽

African Region ◽

The West ◽

Investment Policies ◽

West African Region

With regards to the ongoing development in investment activities in the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) and the entire African continent is because of institutional reforms and initiation of sound investment policies. Foreign direct investment(FDI) inflow and outflow severs as a source of capital formation for most developing and least developed countries. This paper provides an overview and analyses of the flow of FDI to the ECOWAS region by considering 16 nations under this region in determining their performance towards FDI attraction and their contribution to outward FDI across the globe by the use of the quantitative method. The outcome shows that there is a continuous decline in FDI inflow to the ECOWAS region over the past 10 years. The result also proves that Ghana and Nigeria are the major recipients of foreign direct investment inflows in the West African region. The result further indicates that Nigeria is the major contributor of outward FDI from the ECOWAS region. It is recommended that the region should increase its outward FDI.

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Sensitivity of the West African hydrological cycle in ORCHIDEE to infiltration processes

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/hessd-5-2251-2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 2251-2292 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

T. d'Orgeval ◽

J. Polcher ◽

P. de Rosnay

Keyword(s):

Hydrological Cycle ◽

Equatorial Region ◽

West African ◽

Surface Model ◽

African Region ◽

Deep Soil ◽

The West ◽

West African Region ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Infiltration Processes

Abstract. The aim of this article is to test the sensitivity of the Land Surface Model (LSM) ORCHIDEE to infiltration processes in the West African region, and to validate the resulting version of ORCHIDEE against African river discharges. The parameterizations to take into account the effects of flat areas, ponds and floodplains on surface infiltration, and the effect of roots and deep-soil compactness on infiltration are first described. It is shown that the surface infiltration processes have a stronger impact in the soudano-sahelian region and more generally in semi-arid African basins, whereas the rootzone and deep-soil infiltration also play a role in the guinean region and in the intermediate basins between arid and humid ones. In the equatorial region and the semi-humid basins, infiltration processes generally play a minor role. The infiltration parameterizations may explain part of the difference between simulated and observed river discharge in semi-arid and intermediate basins. So ORCHIDEE could be recalibrated to reduce the discharge errors. However, different sources of uncertainty might also explain part of the error. Indeed, the precipitation forcing in the whole West African region, the long-term storage in the soudano-sahelian region, the soil types in the guinean region and the vegetation types in the equatorial region are significant sources of errors. Therefore, a denser monitoring of the hydrological cycle at different scales in West Africa would ensure the reliability of future calibrations for the infiltration parameterizations.

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An Historical Assessment and Analysis of Economic Imperialism in West Africa

Journal of Labor and Society ◽

10.1163/24714607-bja10020 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Ayokunle Olumuyiwa Omobowale ◽

Natewinde Sawadogo

Keyword(s):

West Africa ◽

Civil Wars ◽

National Development ◽

West African ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Skilled Workers ◽

The West ◽

West African Coast ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Economic Imperialism

Abstract The West African political economy has been shaped by the policies, decisions and actions of dominant European imperialist countries since about over 500 years. Starting with imperial merchant capitalism along the West African coast in the 16th Century and French gradual acquisition of Senegal as a colony as from 1677, West Africa has remained under the imperialist hold. West Africa remains economically dependent on its former colonial masters despite more than 60 years since the countries started gaining independence. The consequences of economic imperialism on West Africa have included exploitative resource extraction, proxy and resource influenced civil wars, illegal trade in natural resources, mass poverty, and external migration of skilled workers necessary for national development. The world sees and broadcasts poverty, starvation, conflict and Saharan migration in the West African sub-continent, but hardly reports the exploitative imperialistic processes that have produced poverty and misery in West Africa in particular and across sub-Saharan Africa in general.

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