Nucleotide Sequence of the HIV-2 EHO Genome, a Divergent HIV-2 Isolate

The HIV-2 EHO isolate from Cote dIvoire has been characterized as a highly cytopathic HIV-2 strain which can be differentiated from other isolates by the smaller size of its external envelope glycoprotein. The entire nucleotide sequence (10352 bp) of the HIV-2 EHO genome is filed in the EMBL/Genbank Data Libraries under Accession No. U27200. Despite its high degree of variability the genetic organization of HIV-2 EHO was found to be similar to other HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) isolates: it contains the long terminal repeats (LTR) and the 5 and 3 ends the structural genes and the genes encoding proteins which transactivate the HIV genome and those for accessory proteins. McClure et al. have demonstrated that HIV-2 EHO can infect Macaca nemestrina resulting in progression to an AIDS-like disease in 50% of the macaques challenged. The researchers have more recently reported that passage of HIV-2 EHO in such macaques increases its virulence resulting in a persistent infection and progression to AIDS in all inoculated animals. Given these observations its unique biological and genetic properties and the fact that it was isolated from a full-blown AIDS patient it is plausible to suggest that HIV-2 EHO represents a distinct subtype of HIV-2 with an increased potential to trigger a rapid disease progression toward AIDS. The nucleotide sequence reported in this paper should be helpful in determining the prevalence of HIV-2 EHO in HIV-2 seropositive patients and in evaluating its role in the evolution of AIDS.