The proposed studies will examine the biological consequences of multiple resistance mutations on viral replication and pathogenicity, using the SCID-hu mouse system. This system will be used to test the hypothesis that multiply resistant strains of HIV are less evolutionarily fit. In addition, the effect of antiviral selective pressure and/or mutations in reverse transcriptase on viral recombination will be studied in vivo.
Levy, David N; Aldrovandi, Grace M; Kutsch, Olaf et al. (2004) Dynamics of HIV-1 recombination in its natural target cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101:4204-9 |