Genetic characterization of a novel HIV?1 CRF01_AE/CRF07_BCrecombinant form among men who have sex with men in Guangdong,China

AbstractGenome recombination is a major strategy employed by HIV to generate new variants for the benefit of escaping immunesurveillance. Near full-length genome phylogenic analysis was utilized to characterize HIV diversity in a male patient inGuangdong, China. The result showed a unique recombinant form (URF) composed of two circulating recombinant forms,CRF01_AE (92%) and CRF07_BC (8%), using six recombinant breakpoints, nt 2794, 3092, 4482, 5988, 7021, and 7722. Theemergence of this URF indicates that HIV-1 co-infection or super-infections are common. The increasing genetic complexityof the HIV-1 epidemic in China warrants continued investigation