Compensatory Mutation Partially Restores Fitness and Delays Reversion of Escape Mutation within the Immunodominant HLA-B*5703-Restricted Gag Epitope in Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00465-07
• Publication Date: 2007-05-17T00:41:33Z
• Authors: Hayley Crawford; Julia G. Prado; Alasdair Leslie; Stéphane Hué; Isobella Honeyborne; Sharon Reddy; Mary van der Stok; Zenele Mncube; Christian Brander; Christine Rousseau; James I. Mullins; Richard Kaslow; Paul Goepfert; Susan Allen; Eric Hunter; Joseph Mulenga; Photini Kiepiela; Bruce D. Walker; Philip J. R. Goulder
• Keywords: Reversion; Viremia; HLA-B; Mutation Testing

HLA-B*5703 is associated with effective immune control in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Here we describe an escape mutation within the immunodominant HLA-B*5703-restricted epitope chronic HIV-1 infection, KAFSPEVIPMF (Gag 162-172), and demonstrate that this reduces viral replicative capacity. Reversion of following transmission to HLA-B*5703-negative recipients was delayed by compensatory S165N same epitope. These data may help explain observed association between long-term viremia.