scholarly journals Synonymous Codon Pair Recoding of the HIV-1 env Gene Affects Virus Replication Capacity

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1636
Author(s):  
Ana Jordan-Paiz ◽  
Sandra Franco ◽  
Miguel Angel Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Virus Replication ◽  
Synonymous Codon ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Translation Efficiency ◽  
Cpg Dinucleotides ◽  
Codon Pair ◽  
Env Protein ◽  
Hiv 1

Synonymous codon pair deoptimization is an efficient strategy for virus attenuation; however, the underlying mechanism remains controversial. Here, we optimized and deoptimized the codon pair bias (CPB) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (env) gene to investigate the influence of env synonymous CPB recoding on virus replication capacity, as well as the potential mechanism. We found that env CPB deoptimization did not always generate attenuation, whereas CPB optimization attenuated virus replication in MT-4 cells. Furthermore, virus attenuation correlated with reduced Env protein production but not with decreased viral RNA synthesis. Remarkably, in our model, increasing the number of CpG dinucleotides in the 5′ end of env did not reduce the replication capacity of HIV-1. These results indicate that factors other than CPB or CpG content may have impacted the viral fitness of the synonymously recoded study variants. Our findings provide evidence that CPB recoding-associated attenuation can affect translation efficiency. Moreover, we demonstrated that an increased number of CpGs in the 5′ end of HIV-1 env is not always associated with reduced virus replication capacity.

scholarly journals HIV-1 Lethality and Loss of Env Protein Expression Induced by Single Synonymous Substitutions in the Virus Genome Intronic-Splicing Silencer

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Jordan-Paiz ◽  
Maria Nevot ◽  
Kevin Lamkiewicz ◽  
Marie Lataretu ◽  
Sandra Franco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Expression ◽  
Codon Usage ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Synonymous Codon ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Coding Region ◽  
Cpg Dinucleotides ◽  
Splicing Silencer ◽  
Env Protein ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Synonymous genome recoding has been widely used to study different aspects of virus biology. Codon usage affects the temporal regulation of viral gene expression. In this study, we performed synonymous codon mutagenesis to investigate whether codon usage affected HIV-1 Env protein expression and virus viability. We replaced the codons AGG, GAG, CCU, ACU, CUC, and GGG of the HIV-1 env gene with the synonymous codons CGU, GAA, CCG, ACG, UUA, and GGA, respectively. We found that recoding the Env protein gp120 coding region (excluding the Rev response element [RRE]) did not significantly affect virus replication capacity, even though we introduced 15 new CpG dinucleotides. In contrast, changing a single codon (AGG to CGU) located in the gp41 coding region (HXB2 env position 2125 to 2127), which was included in the intronic splicing silencer (ISS), completely abolished virus replication and Env expression. Computational analyses of this mutant revealed a severe disruption in the ISS RNA secondary structure. A variant that restored ISS secondary RNA structure also reestablished Env production and virus viability. Interestingly, this codon variant prevented both virus replication and Env translation in a eukaryotic expression system. These findings suggested that disrupting mRNA splicing was not the only means of inhibiting translation. Our findings indicated that synonymous gp120 recoding was not always deleterious to HIV-1 replication. Importantly¸ we found that disrupting an external ISS loop strongly affected HIV-1 replication and Env translation. IMPORTANCE Synonymous substitutions can influence virus phenotype, replication capacity, and virulence. In this study, we explored how synonymous codon mutations impacted HIV-1 Env protein expression and virus replication capacity. We changed a single codon, AGG to CGU, which was located in the gp41 coding region (env nucleotide residues 2125 to 2127) and was included in the HIV-1 intronic splicing silencer. This change completely abolished virus replication and Env expression. We also found that changing codon usage in the gp120 region by including an increased number of CpG dinucleotides did not significantly affect Env expression or virus viability. Our findings showed that synonymous recoding was useful for altering viral phenotype and exploring virus biology.

scholarly journals Viral Characteristics Associated with the Clinical Nonprogressor Phenotype Are Inherited by Viruses from a Cluster of HIV-1 Elite Controllers

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Concepción Casado ◽  
Sara Marrero-Hernández ◽  
Daniel Márquez-Arce ◽  
María Pernas ◽  
Sílvia Marfil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Clinical Phenotype ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Elite Controller ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Viral Fusion ◽  
Elite Controllers ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTA small group of HIV-1-infected individuals, called long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs), and in particular a subgroup of LTNPs, elite controllers (LTNP-ECs), display permanent control of viral replication and lack of clinical progression. This control is the result of a complex interaction of host, immune, and viral factors. We identified, by phylogenetic analysis, a cluster of LTNP-ECs infected with very similar low-replication HIV-1 viruses, suggesting the contribution of common viral features to the clinical LTNP-EC phenotype. HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein mediates signaling and promotes HIV-1 fusion, entry, and infection, being a key factor of viral fitnessin vitro, cytopathicity, and infection progressionin vivo. Therefore, we isolated full-lengthenvgenes from viruses of these patients and from chronically infected control individuals. Functional characterization of the initial events of the viral infection showed that Envs from the LTNP-ECs were ineffective in the binding to CD4 and in the key triggering of actin/tubulin-cytoskeleton modifications compared to Envs from chronic patients. The viral properties of the cluster viruses result in a defective viral fusion, entry, and infection, and these properties were inherited by every virus of the cluster. Therefore, inefficient HIV-1 Env functions and signaling defects may contribute to the low viral replication capacity and transmissibility of the cluster viruses, suggesting a direct role in the LTNP-EC phenotype of these individuals. These results highlight the important role of viral characteristics in the LTNP-EC clinical phenotype. These Env viral properties were common to all the cluster viruses and thus support the heritability of the viral characteristics.IMPORTANCEHIV-1 long-term nonprogressor elite controller patients, due to their permanent control of viral replication, have been the object of numerous studies to identify the factors responsible for this clinical phenotype. In this work, we analyzed the viral characteristics of the envelopes of viruses from a phylogenetic cluster of LTNP-EC patients. These envelopes showed ineffective binding to CD4 and the subsequent signaling activity to modify actin/tubulin cytoskeletons, which result in low fusion and deficient entry and infection capacities. These Env viral characteristics could explain the nonprogressor clinical phenotype of these patients. In addition, these inefficientenvviral properties were present in all viruses of the cluster, supporting the heritability of the viral phenotype.

scholarly journals Impact of Primary Elvitegravir Resistance-Associated Mutations in HIV-1 Integrase on Drug Susceptibility and Viral Replication Fitness

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 2654-2663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Abram ◽  
Rebecca M. Hluhanich ◽  
Derrick D. Goodman ◽  
Kristen N. Andreatta ◽  
Nicolas A. Margot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Drug Susceptibility ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Strand Transfer ◽  
Recombinant Viruses ◽  
Transfer Inhibitor ◽  
Replication Fitness ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTElvitegravir (EVG) is an effective HIV-1 integrase (IN) strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) in advanced clinical development. Primary INSTI resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) at six IN positions have been identified in HIV-1-infected patients failing EVG-containing regimens in clinical studies: T66I/A/K, E92Q/G, T97A, S147G, Q148R/H/K, and N155H. In this study, the effect of these primary IN mutations, alone and in combination, on susceptibility to the INSTIs EVG, raltegravir (RAL), and dolutegravir (DTG); IN enzyme activities; and viral replication fitness was characterized. Recombinant viruses containing the six most common mutations exhibited a range of reduced EVG susceptibility: 92-fold for Q148R, 30-fold for N155H, 26-fold for E92Q, 10-fold for T66I, 4-fold for S147G, and 2-fold for T97A. Less commonly observed primary IN mutations also showed a range of reduced EVG susceptibilities: 40- to 94-fold for T66K and Q148K and 5- to 10-fold for T66A, E92G, and Q148H. Some primary IN mutations exhibited broad cross-resistance between EVG and RAL (T66K, E92Q, Q148R/H/K, and N155H), while others retained susceptibility to RAL (T66I/A, E92G, T97A, and S147G). Dual combinations of primary IN mutations further reduced INSTI susceptibility, replication capacity, and viral fitness relative to either mutation alone. Susceptibility to DTG was retained by single primary IN mutations but reduced by dual mutation combinations with Q148R. Primary EVG RAMs also diminished IN enzymatic activities, concordant with their structural proximity to the active site. Greater reductions in viral fitness of dual mutation combinations may explain why some primary INSTI RAMs do not readily coexist on the same HIV-1 genome but rather establish independent pathways of resistance to EVG.

scholarly journals Gag-Protease-Mediated Replication Capacity in HIV-1 Subtype C Chronic Infection: Associations with HLA Type and Clinical Parameters

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (20) ◽  
pp. 10820-10831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn K. Wright ◽  
Zabrina L. Brumme ◽  
Jonathan M. Carlson ◽  
David Heckerman ◽  
Carl M. Kadie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Hla Class I ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Baseline Viral Load ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Subtype C ◽  
Fitness Costs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The mechanisms underlying HIV-1 control by protective HLA class I alleles are not fully understood and could involve selection of escape mutations in functionally important Gag epitopes resulting in fitness costs. This study was undertaken to investigate, at the population level, the impact of HLA-mediated immune pressure in Gag on viral fitness and its influence on HIV-1 pathogenesis. Replication capacities of 406 recombinant viruses encoding plasma-derived Gag-protease from patients chronically infected with HIV-1 subtype C were assayed in an HIV-1-inducible green fluorescent protein reporter cell line. Viral replication capacities varied significantly with respect to the specific HLA-B alleles expressed by the patient, and protective HLA-B alleles, most notably HLA-B*81, were associated with lower replication capacities. HLA-associated mutations at low-entropy sites, especially the HLA-B*81-associated 186S mutation in the TL9 epitope, were associated with lower replication capacities. Most mutations linked to alterations in replication capacity in the conserved p24 region decreased replication capacity, while most in the highly variable p17 region increased replication capacity. Replication capacity also correlated positively with baseline viral load and negatively with baseline CD4 count but did not correlate with the subsequent rate of CD4 decline. In conclusion, there is evidence that protective HLA alleles, in particular HLA-B*81, significantly influence Gag-protease function by driving sequence changes in Gag and that conserved regions of Gag should be included in a vaccine aiming to drive HIV-1 toward a less fit state. However, the long-term clinical benefit of immune-driven fitness costs is uncertain given the lack of correlation with longitudinal markers of disease progression.

scholarly journals Integrase Inhibitor Resistance Mechanisms and Structural Characteristics in Antiretroviral Therapy–Experienced, Integrase Inhibitor–Naive Adults With HIV-1 Infection Treated With Dolutegravir Plus 2 Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors in the DAWNING Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Underwood ◽  
Joe Horton ◽  
Keith Nangle ◽  
Judy Hopking ◽  
Kimberly Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Integrase Inhibitor ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Phenotypic Change ◽  
Virologic Suppression ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ◽  
Dna Complexes ◽  
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ◽  
Hiv 1

At Week 48 in the phase IIIb DAWNING study, the integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) dolutegravir plus 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors demonstrated superiority to ritonavir-boosted lopinavir in achieving virologic suppression in adults with HIV-1 who failed first-line therapy. Here we report emergent HIV-1 drug resistance and mechanistic underpinnings among dolutegravir-treated adults in DAWNING. Population viral genotyping, phenotyping, and clonal analyses were performed on participants meeting confirmed virologic withdrawal (CVW) criteria on dolutegravir-containing regimens. Dolutegravir binding to and structural changes in HIV-1 integrase-DNA complexes with INSTI resistance-associated substitutions were evaluated. Of participants who received dolutegravir through Week 48 plus an additional 110 weeks for this assessment, 6 met CVW criteria with treatment-emergent INSTI resistance-associated substitutions and 1 had R263R/K at baseline but not at CVW. All 7 achieved HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/mL (5 achieved <50 copies/mL) before CVW. Treatment-emergent G118R was detected in 5 participants, occurring with ≥2 other integrase substitutions, including R263R/K, in 3 participants and without other integrase substitutions in 2 participants. G118R or R263K increased the dolutegravir dissociation rate from integrase-DNA complexes vs wild-type but retained prolonged binding. Overall, among treatment-experienced adults who received dolutegravir in DAWNING, 6 of 314 participants developed treatment-emergent INSTI resistance-associated substitutions, with in vitro dolutegravir resistance >10 fold-change and reduced viral replication capacity vs baseline levels. This study demonstrates that the pathway to dolutegravir resistance is a challenging balance between HIV-1 phenotypic change and associated loss of viral fitness (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02227238).

scholarly journals Impaired Replication Capacity of Acute/Early Viruses in Persons Who Become HIV Controllers

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (15) ◽  
pp. 7581-7591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Miura ◽  
Zabrina L. Brumme ◽  
Mark A. Brockman ◽  
Pamela Rosato ◽  
Jennifer Sela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Viral Replication ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Transmitted Drug Resistance ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Drug Resistance Mutations ◽  
Hiv Controllers ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) controllers maintain viremia at <2,000 RNA copies/ml without antiretroviral therapy. Viruses from controllers with chronic infection were shown to exhibit impaired replication capacities, in part associated with escape mutations from cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses. In contrast, little is known about viruses during acute/early infection in individuals who subsequently become HIV controllers. Here, we examine the viral replication capacities, HLA types, and virus sequences from 18 HIV-1 controllers identified during primary infection. g ag-protease chimeric viruses constructed using the earliest postinfection samples displayed significantly lower replication capacities than isolates from persons who failed to control viremia (P = 0.0003). Protective HLA class I alleles were not enriched in these early HIV controllers, but viral sequencing revealed a significantly higher prevalence of drug resistance mutations associated with impaired viral fitness in controllers than in noncontrollers (6/15 [40.0%] versus 10/80 [12.5%], P = 0.018). Moreover, of two HLA-B57-positive (B57+) controllers identified, both harbored, at the earliest time point tested, signature escape mutations within Gag that likewise impair viral replication capacity. Only five controllers did not express “protective” alleles or harbor viruses with drug resistance mutations; intriguingly, two of them displayed typical B57 signature mutations (T242N), suggesting the acquisition of attenuated viruses from B57+ donors. These data indicate that acute/early stage viruses from persons who become controllers have evidence of reduced replication capacity during the initial stages of infection which is likely associated with transmitted or acquired CTL escape mutations or transmitted drug resistance mutations. These data suggest that viral dynamics during acute infection have a major impact on HIV disease outcome.

scholarly journals RNA virus attenuation by codon pair deoptimisation is an artefact of increases in CpG/UpA dinucleotide frequencies

eLife ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Tulloch ◽  
Nicky J Atkinson ◽  
David J Evans ◽  
Martin D Ryan ◽  
Peter Simmonds
Keyword(s):  
Virus Replication ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Rna Virus ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Translation Efficiency ◽  
Innate Immune Responses ◽  
Live Virus ◽  
Codon Pair ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Virus Genomes

Mutating RNA virus genomes to alter codon pair (CP) frequencies and reduce translation efficiency has been advocated as a method to generate safe, attenuated virus vaccines. However, selection for disfavoured CPs leads to unintended increases in CpG and UpA dinucleotide frequencies that also attenuate replication. We designed and phenotypically characterised mutants of the picornavirus, echovirus 7, in which these parameters were independently varied to determine which most influenced virus replication. CpG and UpA dinucleotide frequencies primarily influenced virus replication ability while no fitness differences were observed between mutants with different CP usage where dinucleotide frequencies were kept constant. Contrastingly, translation efficiency was unaffected by either CP usage or dinucleotide frequencies. This mechanistic insight is critical for future rational design of live virus vaccines and their safety evaluation; attenuation is mediated through enhanced innate immune responses to viruses with elevated CpG/UpA dinucleotide frequencies rather the viruses themselves being intrinsically defective.

scholarly journals In vivo Serial Passaging of Human–Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Clones Identifies Characteristics for Persistent Viral Replication

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Thippeshappa ◽  
Patricia Polacino ◽  
Shaswath S. Chandrasekar ◽  
Khanghy Truong ◽  
Anisha Misra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Simian Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Peak Plasma ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Challenge Virus ◽  
Initial Inoculum ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

We previously reported that a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 with a simian immunodeficiency virus vif substitution (HSIV-vifNL4-3) could replicate in pigtailed macaques (PTMs), demonstrating that Vif is a species-specific tropism factor of primate lentiviruses. However, infections did not result in high-peak viremia or setpoint plasma viral loads, as observed during simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of PTMs. Here, we characterized variants isolated from one of the original infected animals with CD4 depletion after nearly 4years of infection to identify determinants of increased replication fitness. In our studies, we found that the HSIV-vif clones did not express the HIV-1 Vpr protein due to interference from the vpx open reading frame (ORF) in singly spliced vpr mRNA. To examine whether these viral genes contribute to persistent viral replication, we generated infectious HSIV-vif clones expressing either the HIV-1 Vpr or SIV Vpx protein. And then to determine viral fitness determinants of HSIV-vif, we conducted three rounds of serial in vivo passaging in PTMs, starting with an initial inoculum containing a mixture of CXCR4-tropic [Vpr-HSIV-vifNL4-3 isolated at 196 (C/196) and 200 (C/200) weeks post-infection from a PTM with depressed CD4 counts] and CCR5-tropic HSIV (Vpr+ HSIV-vif derivatives based NL-AD8 and Bru-Yu2 and a Vpx expressing HSIV-vifYu2). Interestingly, all infected PTMs showed peak plasma viremia close to or above 105 copies/ml and persistent viral replication for more than 20weeks. Infectious molecular clones (IMCs) recovered from the passage 3 PTM (HSIV-P3 IMCs) included mutations required for HIV-1 Vpr expression and those mutations encoded by the CXCR4-tropic HSIV-vifNL4-3 isolate C/196. The data indicate that the viruses selected during long-term infection acquired HIV-1 Vpr expression, suggesting the importance of Vpr for in vivo pathogenesis. Further passaging of HSIV-P3 IMCs in vivo may generate pathogenic variants with higher replication capacity, which will be a valuable resource as challenge virus in vaccine and cure studies.

scholarly journals Early Selection in Gag by Protective HLA Alleles Contributes to Reduced HIV-1 Replication Capacity That May Be Largely Compensated for in Chronic Infection

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (22) ◽  
pp. 11937-11949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Brockman ◽  
Zabrina L. Brumme ◽  
Chanson J. Brumme ◽  
Toshiyuki Miura ◽  
Jennifer Sela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Hla Alleles ◽  
Subtype B ◽  
Compensatory Mutations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Mutations that allow escape from CD8 T-cell responses are common in HIV-1 and may attenuate pathogenesis by reducing viral fitness. While this has been demonstrated for individual cases, a systematic investigation of the consequence of HLA class I-mediated selection on HIV-1 in vitro replication capacity (RC) has not been undertaken. We examined this question by generating recombinant viruses expressing plasma HIV-1 RNA-derived Gag-Protease sequences from 66 acute/early and 803 chronic untreated subtype B-infected individuals in an NL4-3 background and measuring their RCs using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter CD4 T-cell assay. In acute/early infection, viruses derived from individuals expressing the protective alleles HLA-B*57, -B*5801, and/or -B*13 displayed significantly lower RCs than did viruses from individuals lacking these alleles (P < 0.05). Furthermore, acute/early RC inversely correlated with the presence of HLA-B-associated Gag polymorphisms (R = −0.27; P = 0.03), suggesting a cumulative effect of primary escape mutations on fitness during the first months of infection. At the chronic stage of infection, no strong correlations were observed between RC and protective HLA-B alleles or with the presence of HLA-B-associated polymorphisms restricted by protective alleles despite increased statistical power to detect these associations. However, RC correlated positively with the presence of known compensatory mutations in chronic viruses from B*57-expressing individuals harboring the Gag T242N mutation (n = 50; R = 0.36; P = 0.01), suggesting that the rescue of fitness defects occurred through mutations at secondary sites. Additional mutations in Gag that may modulate the impact of the T242N mutation on RC were identified. A modest inverse correlation was observed between RC and CD4 cell count in chronic infection (R = −0.17; P < 0.0001), suggesting that Gag-Protease RC could increase over the disease course. Notably, this association was stronger for individuals who expressed B*57, B*58, or B*13 (R = −0.27; P = 0.004). Taken together, these data indicate that certain protective HLA alleles contribute to early defects in HIV-1 fitness through the selection of detrimental mutations in Gag; however, these effects wane as compensatory mutations accumulate in chronic infection. The long-term control of HIV-1 in some persons who express protective alleles suggests that early fitness hits may provide lasting benefits.

scholarly journals In Vivo Validation of a Bioinformatics Based Tool to Identify Reduced Replication Capacity in HIV-1

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-232
Author(s):  
Christina M.R Kitchen ◽  
Paul Krogstad ◽  
Scott G Kitchen
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Biological Assessment ◽  
Relative Fitness ◽  
Replication Capacity ◽  
Resistance Mutations ◽  
Hiv 1

Although antiretroviral drug resistance is common in treated HIV infected individuals, it is not a consistent indicator of HIV morbidity and mortality. To the contrary, HIV resistance-associated mutations may lead to changes in viral fitness that are beneficial to infected individuals. Using a bioinformatics-based model to assess the effects of numerous drug resistance mutations, we determined that the D30N mutation in HIV-1 protease had the largest decrease in replication capacity among known protease resistance mutations. To test thisin silicoresult in anin vivoenvironment, we constructed several drug-resistant mutant HIV-1 strains and compared their relative fitness utilizing the SCID-hu mouse model. We found HIV-1 containing the D30N mutation had a significant defectin vivo, showing impaired replication kinetics and a decreased ability to deplete CD4+ thymocytes, compared to the wild-type or virus without the D30N mutation. In comparison, virus containing the M184V mutation in reverse transcriptase, which shows decreased replication capacityin vitro, did not have an effect on viral fitnessin vivo. Thus, in this study we have verified anin silicobioinformatics result with a biological assessment to identify a unique mutation in HIV-1 that has a significant fitness defectin vivo.

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