{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nHIV-1 emergence is estimated to have occurred c.a. 1920s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Only its group M is pandemic. It currently comprises 10 established subtypes. Here, we describe a near-complete HIV-1 genome that meets the definition of a candidate new subtype.Methods\n\nIn-house-designed or commercial PCR primers were used for amplification of HIV-1 DNA from blood. Sequencing used Sanger and next-generation (Oxford Nanopore, Illumina) technologies. Bioinformatic analyses used Samtools, Minimap2, Viroscore, Bootscan, IQ-TREE, iTOL, MEGA12, and Nextclade. Structural analyses used Mutate, HyperChem, and Molegro Molecular Viewer.Results\n\nThe patient originates from the DRC. CD4⁺ T cell counts fluctuated between 351 and 2394/mm3, and plasma viral load, initially 5.0 log₁₀copies/mL, reached undetectability on antiretroviral therapy. The obtained near-full length genome (PZ307881) showed a mean nucleotide divergence of 12.7% (range, 11.9-13.7%) with genomes of the 10 established subtypes, while mean divergence was 12.6% (10.0-13.7%) between these 10 subtypes. Phylogeny displayed a star-like tree topology. No recombination was identified. No natural antiretroviral drug resistance was detected. Reverse transcriptase (RT) structure exhibited slight changes compared to subtype B RT that could alter processivity and may favor increased genetic diversity.Conclusions\n\nThese data support a candidate new HIV-1 group M subtype we tentatively termed M pending official taxonomic classification. They indicate that HIV-1 diversity is still not comprehensively deciphered and are in line with the DRC as an epicenter of the HIV-1/M pandemic. They warrant further studies to establish this provisional candidate new subtype by detecting it in other epidemiologically unlinked individuals, and to assess its epidemiological, genotypic and phenotypic features.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "IHU Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, 13005, France.",
    "Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Laboratoire des Agents Infectieux, 19-21 boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, 13005, France.",
    "Aix-Marseille Univ., Microbes Evolution PHylogeny and Infections (MEPHI), UR D-258, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, 13005, France.",
    "Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Hôpital La Timone, Laboratoire de Pharmacocinétique et Toxicologie, Marseille, France.",
    "Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Service de Maladies Infectieuses, 19-21 boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, 13005, France.",
    "Aix-Marseille Univ., Risques Infectieux Tropicaux Microorganismes ÉmergentS (RITMES), D257_UMR MD4, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, Marseille, 13005, France."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Philippe Colson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Céline Boschi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Marielle Bedotto"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Anne Motte"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Caroline Solas"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Marine Lefebvre"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Matthieu Million"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Christelle Tomei"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Jeremy Delerce"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jacques Fantini"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89scbbqaskaxn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.nmni.2026.101863",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13695309",
  "id": "89scbbqaskaxn",
  "issns": [
    "2052-2975"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927089",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2406|HIV Research and Treatment"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221075123",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13695309?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13695309",
  "pmid": "42927089",
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89scbbqaskaxn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:18Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42927089",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42927089"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2406|HIV Research and Treatment",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A case of infection with a candidate new subtype, tentatively termed M, of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 of group M.",
  "title_text": "A case of infection with a candidate new subtype, tentatively termed M, of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 of group M.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89scbbqaskaxn",
  "venue": "New microbes and new infections",
  "versions": []
}