An integration-defective U5 deletion mutant of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverts by eliminating additional long terminal repeat sequences

Abstract

Nonoverlapping deletions that eliminated the 5' (HIV-1(U5/603del)), middle (HIV-1(U5/206del)), and 3' (HIV-1(U5/604del)) thirds of the U5 region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR) were studied for their effects on virus replication (transient transfection of HeLa cells) and infectivity (T-cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells). All three mutants exhibited a wild-type phenotype in directing the production and release of virus particles from transfected HeLa cells. In infectivity assays, HIV-1(U5/206del) was usually indistinguishable from wild- type virus whereas HIV-1(U5/603del) was unable to infect human peripheral blood mononuclear cell..