Lack of Differences in nef Alleles among HIV-Infected Asymptomatic Long-Term Survivors and Those Who Progressed to Disease

Abstract

Sequences of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nef gene in virus isolates from 12 long-term survivors (LTSs) and 7 progressors were compared to determine if any association existed between the sequences and the corresponding clinical status. The sequences of at least five clones were determined for each subject. Conceptual translations of the open reading frames (ORFs) were examined with respect to a consensus with a prototypic nef sequence (HIV-1_{S F 2}) and for conservation of functionally described motifs. Premature stops were observed at equivalent, yet low, frequencies among the different clinical groups: 2 of 60 (3.33%) and 1 of 45 (2.22%) respectively. No remarkable differences in protein motifs implicated in several activities ascribed to Nef were noted. An association between nef sequence characteristics and the clinical state was not found.