Regulated superinfection may help HIV adaptation on rugged landscape

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is highly adaptable to a, changing environment, including host immune response and antiviral drugs. Superinfection occurs when several HIV proviruses share the same host cell. We previously proposed that HIV may regulate the rate of its superinfection, which would help the virus to adapt (Leontiev et al., 2008). In this paper we, investigate the effect of regulated superinfection in HIV on complex, adaptation on rugged fitness landscapes. We present the results of our in silico experiments that suggest that regulated superinfection facilitates HIV, adaptation on rugged fitness landscapes and that the advantage of regulated, superinfection increases with the ruggedness of the landscape.