Genetic Drift of HIV Populations in Culture
Author Information
Author(s): Yegor Voronin, Sarah Holte, Julie Overbaugh, Michael Emerman
Primary Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Hypothesis
The process of virus replication contributes to genetic drift in HIV populations.
Conclusion
HIV populations exhibit approximately ten times more genetic drift than expected from their population size due to the stochastic nature of viral replication.
Supporting Evidence
- HIV populations in culture undergo approximately tenfold more genetic drift than expected for an ideal population.
- Non-synchronous infection contributes significantly to increased genetic drift in HIV.
- Synchronized infections reduce genetic drift but do not eliminate it.
Takeaway
HIV can change a lot even when there are many of them, and this happens because they don't all infect cells at the same time.
Methodology
The study developed an assay to measure genetic drift in HIV populations by creating viral populations of known size and measuring variation in allele frequency.
Limitations
The study's findings may not fully explain the much higher genetic drift observed in HIV populations in infected patients.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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