Adaptation, co-evolution, and human susceptibility to HIV-1 infection

Infection with HIV-1, a retrovirus of animal origin, has reached pandemic proportions. For this the virus, characterized by rapid mutation rate, has adapted to the host immunity and to the human cellular environment. Humans are also exerting considerable pressure on HIV-1 through the use of antiretroviral agents. On the other hand, long term exposure of humans to other retroviruses and retroelements may have already shaped the human genome. Thus, despite a recent entry of HIV-1 in humans, this pathogen might be already exerting evolutionary pressure on humans, by selecting a repertoire of restriction genes and susceptibility loci.