Abstract
CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD8-TL) select viral escape variants in both human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections. The frequency of CD8-TL viral escape as well as the contribution of escape to overall virus diversification has not been assessed. We quantified CD8-TL selection in SIV infections by sequencing viral genomes from 35 SIVmac239-infected animals at the time of euthanasia. Here we show that positive selection for sequences encoding 46 known CD8-TL epitopes is comparable to the positive selection observed for the variable loops of env. We also found that >60% of viral variation outside of the viral envelope occurs within recognized CD8-TL epitopes. Therefore, we conclude that CD8-TL selection is the dominant cause of SIV diversification outside of the envelope.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 14012-14022 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of virology |
Volume | 78 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Insect Science
- Virology