Nucleotide Sequence and Expression of an AIDS-Associated Retrovirus (ARV-2)

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 227; no. 4686; pp. 484 - 492
• Main Authors: Sanchez-Pescador, Ray, Power, Michael D., Barr, Philip J., Steimer, Kathelyn S., Stempien, Michelle M., Brown-Shimer, Sheryl L., Gee, Wendy W., Renard, Andre, Randolph, Anne, Levy, Jay A., Dina, Dino, Luciw, Paul A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 01.02.1985; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - microbiology; AIDS; AIDS (Disease); AIDS research; AIDS/HIV; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Base Sequence; Case studies; Cloning, Molecular; Codon; Deltaretrovirus - genetics; DNA; DNA, Viral - genetics; Gene Products, gag; Generally accepted auditing standards; Genes, Viral; Genetic research; Gin; Human T lymphotropic virus 1; Humans; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Nucleotide sequences; Nucleotides; Observations; Open reading frames; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Retroviridae; Retroviridae - genetics; Retroviruses; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - biosynthesis; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - genetics; Viral Envelope Proteins - biosynthesis; Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - biosynthesis; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral research; Virus research; Viruses
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.2578227

The nucleotide sequence of molecular clones of DNA from a retrovirus, ARV-2, associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was determined. Proviral DNA of ARV-2 (9737 base pairs) has long terminal repeat structures (636 base pairs) and long open reading frames encoding gag (506 codons), pol (1003 codons), and env (863 codons) genes. Two additional open reading frames were identified. Significant amino acid homology with several other retroviruses was noted in the predicted product of gag and pol, but ARV-2 was as closely related to murine and avian retroviruses as it was to human T-cell leukemia viruses (HTLV-I and HTLV-II). By means of an SV-40 vector in transfected simian cells, the cloned gag and env genes of ARV-2 were shown to express viral proteins.