CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC are the two predominant HIV-1 subtypes currently circulating in China. We identified here a novel CCR5-tropic HIV-1 second-generation recombinant form virus found in two individuals, (GX19017 and GX19032), which were isolated from two HIV-1-positive people in Guangxi, southwest China. Phylogenic analyses indicated that these two sequences were all composed of two well-established circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) CRF07_BC and CRF01_AE, with four recombinant breakpoints observed in the pol, vpu/env, and env gene regions, respectively. The recombinant CRF01_AE region was clustered with the previously described CRF01_AE subcluster 2 lineage, which was characterized by the susceptibility to phenotypic transfer. The genome structure is significantly different from other previously reported CRFs and unique recombination forms. The emergence of a series of novel recombinant strains is indicative of the burgeoning complexity of the HIV-1 epidemic among the sexually transmitted population. Meanwhile, it may furnish significant insights into the dynamics and intricacy of the HIV-1 epidemic in China.
Keywords: CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC; Guangxi; HIV-1; phenotypic tropism; recombinant form.