Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
positive selection, gp120 protein, human immunodeficiency virus, vaccine trials
College
Life Sciences
Department
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Abstract
This project’s purpose is to determine sites of positive selection in the gp120 envelope protein of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Positive selection is defined as the fixation of changes in amino acid composition in a population. A data set containing the envelope sequence from patients who contracted HIV while participating in a phase 3 efficacy trial of the AIDSVAXTM HIV vaccine was obtained from Vaxgen, the vaccine’s developer. This data is being compared with data sets taken from Genbank to identify sites along the gp120 protein which have mutated, to allow the virus to escape the antibodies generated by the vaccine. Unfortunately, the data set is so large the analyses remain ongoing. However, two separate data sets taken from Genbank were analyzed and yielded interesting results.
Recommended Citation
Oliphant, Theodore L. and Crandall, Dr. Keith A.
(2013)
"Detection of Positive Selection in the gp120 protein of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Relation to Vaccine Trials,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013:
Iss.
1, Article 1203.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1203