system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
During an experiment conducted to alter the infectivity of common viruses that affect humans, an investigator successfully increases the host range of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The new strain of the virus can infect fibroblast-like cells in addition to the usual target of HIV. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the increase in the host range of the virus?
assistant
Mutation of the gene coding for viral surface glycoproteins