Genetic Characterization of a Unique Recombinant Strain Identified in Yunnan with Genome Comprising B and C

Abstract Since the first identification of HIV-1 outbreak in Dehong, Yunnan province has been the epidemic center of HIV in China. Owing to the special geographic location and the frequent population mobility, Yunnan province contained complex HIV subtype distribution. Many new circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) and unique recombinant forms (URFs) have been found in recent years. In this study, a unique HIV-1 recombinant strain genome (YN10134) was characterized from an HIV-positive female in Yunnan, China. This virus genome had a complex intersubtype recombinant structure with eight breakpoints, composed of subtypes B and C. Although the sequence had a similar breakpoint with CRF07_BC in the start position in Env, the phylogenetic analysis showed that the segment was not originated from CRF07_BC. The identification of the URF indicated the severity of the HIV epidemic in Yunnan province and the urgent need for epidemiological surveillance of the new recombination.