An evolving genetic tapestry of HIV-1 recombinants

HIV-1 strains circulating globally are classified into four groups; within the major group M, strains are classified into nine pure subtypes (A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and K), several sub-subtypes (A1, A2, etc), and recombinant forms. The latter are further divided into circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), which have been detected in three or more epidemiologically unrelated individuals, and unique recombinant forms (URFs). 1 Foley BT Leitner T Paraskevis D Peeters M Primate immunodeficiency virus classification and nomenclature: review. Infect Genet Evol. 2016; 46: 150-158 Crossref PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar Recombination is one of the major mechanisms driving genetic heterogeneity of HIV-1 and can provide a more efficient way of altering the genetic make-up of the virus than mutations inserted during the reverse transcription process. Global and regional epidemiology of HIV-1 recombinants in 1990–2015: a systematic review and global surveyHIV-1 recombinants are increasingly prominent in global and regional HIV epidemics, which has important implications for the development of an HIV vaccine and the design of diagnostic, resistance, and viral load assays. Continued and improved surveillance of the global molecular epidemiology of HIV is crucial. Full-Text PDF