Genetic Diversity of Argentine Isolates of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

1 Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan 2 Epizootic Research Station, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Kokubunji-machi, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 329-04, Japan 3 Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, La Plata University, 1900-La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina Author for correspondence: Takeshi Mikami. Fax +81 3 5689 7346, e-mail ataka{at}hongo.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp We report the nucleotide sequence and genetic diversity of part of the envelope ( env ) gene of four strains of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) isolated from Argentine domestic cats. The DNA encoding the V3 to V5 regions of the env gene of the FIV isolates were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Argentine isolates did not cluster into a single group; one isolate clustered with subtype B FIV isolated in the USA and Japan, whereas the others formed a new cluster of FIV which might represent a prototype sequence for subtype E. Present address: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Present address: The Marjorie B. Kovler Viral Oncology Laboratories, The University of Chicago, 910 East Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Received 10 November 1995; accepted 1 April 1996.