A4 An amplicon-based approach for universal amplification, sequencing, and assembly of full-length HIV-1 samples from the DRC

Phylogenetic studies have contributed to our understanding of the early epidemic onset of HIV-1 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); however, the factors driving its early emergence and establishment in human populations still remain unresolved. In order to determine the key aspects of its successful epidemic spread, complete genome data are required from samples representative of the viral diversity in the DRC. In this study, we have established a universal PCR-assay that uses seven different panels of primers to produce overlapping amplicons covering the complete HIV genome. To circumvent the limitations of purifying these fragments and sequencing them with traditional approaches, we have developed a massive parallel sequencing method and a protocol for efficiently assembling HIV-1 genomes. A total of thirty-six samples, collected between 1997 and 2001 from different locations across the DRC, have been obtained, and, at this stage, we are focusing on complementing our dataset with more archival samples that can be used as HIV ‘molecular fossils’. By generating complete genome phylogeographic data from the DRC, we aim to create a genomic window into the past evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics of HIV-1 in Central Africa and understand the natural history of this devastating pandemic.