@article{mbs:/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-77-9-2009, author = "Carlini, F. and Nicolini, A. and dā€™Aloja, P. and Federico, M. and Verani, P.", title = "The Non-Producer Phenotype of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Provirus F12/HIV-1 is the Result of Multiple Genetic Variations", journal= "Journal of General Virology", year = "1996", volume = "77", number = "9", pages = "2009-2013", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-77-9-2009", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-77-9-2009", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2099", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "A cell clone (Hut-78/F12) chronically infected with a non-producer human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variant showed an abnormal pattern of virus structural proteins and released no detectable virus particles. Exchanges of homologous parts of the F12/HIV provirus and a replication-competent HIV (strain NL4-3) were undertaken to define the genetic determinants of the F12/HIV phenotype. The non-infectious phenotype was reproduced by replacing an NL4-3 genomic fragment encoding the C terminus of gp120 and the N terminus of gp41 with the corresponding parts of the F12/HIV provirus. Conversely, a much more extended genomic fragment (encompassing the vif, pol and env genes) was necessary to convert the F12/HIV phenotype. These results demonstrate that the F12/HIV non-producer phenotype is the result of mutations scattered along most of the genome, rendering the conversion to an infectious phenotype a very unlikely event. The F12/HIV genome is thus a reliable model for preclinical studies of anti-HIV gene therapy.", }