FIG. 5.
Amino acid variation accumulates in the Mamu-A*02-restricted Nef159-167 YY9 epitope during acute infection with SIVmac239. Virus isolated from Mamu-A*02-positive monkeys 4 to 16 weeks after infection with SIVmac239 was analyzed by direct sequencing of viral amplicons spanning the SIV genes nef and gag. The Mamu-A*02-restricted Nef159-167 YY9 epitope accumulated amino acid variation in all animals analyzed, whereas the second Mamu-A*02-restricted epitope Gag71-79 GY9 did not. Sites of mixed-base heterogeneity are shown in black; codons containing these sites are boxed, with the encoded amino acid(s) indicated in black.