Genetic characterization of eight full-length HIV type 1 genomes from the democratic republic of Congo (DRC) reveal a new subsubtype, A5, in the A radiation that predominates in the recombinant structure of CRF26_A5U /Vidal, Nicole Bazepeo, S. E. Mulanga, C. /Delaporte, Eric /Peeters, Martine In this study, we characterized HIV-1 strains from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), previously described as divergent subtype A (n = 1,97CD.KMST91) or untypable (n = 7) in the V3-V5 env region. Four strains had the same structure over the entire genome, including alternating fragments of a new subsubtype, A5, within the subtype A radiation and fragments that remain unclassified. Therefore, the cluster of new viruses represents a new circulating recombinant, CRF26_A5U. Three additional strains were unique recombinants with the newly described CRF26_A5U and subtype C. Finally, the nearly full-length sequence of 97CD.KMST91 showed that this strain also consisted of alternating fragments of a divergent subtype A lineage and unclassified fragments, although different from previously reported A and U sequences. The high genetic distances among the different CRF26-A5U strains suggest their longstanding presence in the DRC. 2009 text https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010048169 fdi:010048169 Vidal Nicole, Bazepeo S. E., Mulanga C., Delaporte Eric, Peeters Martine. Genetic characterization of eight full-length HIV type 1 genomes from the democratic republic of Congo (DRC) reveal a new subsubtype, A5, in the A radiation that predominates in the recombinant structure of CRF26_A5U. 2009, 25 (8), 823-832 EN