HIV type 1 that select tRNA(His) or tRNA(Lys1,2) as primers for reverse transcription exhibit different infectivities in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of unique HIV-1 that select tRNA(His) or tRNA(Lys1,2) for reverse transcription was compared to the wild-type virus that uses tRNA(Lys,3). HIV-1 with only the primer-binding site (PBS) changed to be complementary to these alternative tRNAs initially replicated more slowly than the wild-type virus in PBMC, although all viruses eventually reached equivalent growth as measured by p24 antigen. Viruses with only a PBS complementary to the 3' terminal 18 nucleotides of tRNA(His) or tRNA(Lys1,2) reverted to use tRNA(Lys3).