Characterization of Recombinant Nonecotropic Murine Leukemia Viruses from the Wild Mouse Species Mus spretus

AUTOR(ES)

Jung , Yong Tae

FONTE

American Society for Microbiology

RESUMO

The wild mouse species most closely related to the common laboratory strains contain proviral env genes of the xenotropic/polytropic subgroup of mouse leukemia viruses (MLVs). To determine if the polytropic proviruses of Mus spretus contain functional genes, we inoculated neonates with Moloney MLV (MoMLV) or amphotropic MLV (A-MLV) and screened for viral recombinants with altered host ranges. Thymus and spleen cells from MoMLV-inoculated mice were plated on Mus dunni cells and mink cells, since these cells do not support the replication of MoMLV, and cells from A-MLV-inoculated mice were plated on ferret cells. All MoMLV-inoculated mice produced ecotropic viruses that resembled their MoMLV progenitor, although some isolates, unlike MoMLV, grew to high titers in M. dunni cells. All of the MoMLV-inoculated mice also produced nonecotropic virus that was infectious for mink cells. Sequencing of three MoMLV- and two A-MLV-derived nonecotropic recombinants confirmed that these viruses contained substantial substitutions that included the regions of env encoding the surface (SU) protein and the 5′ end of the transmembrane (TM) protein. The 5′ recombination breakpoint for one of the A-MLV recombinants was identified in RNase H. The M. spretus-derived env substitutions were nearly identical to the corresponding regions in prototypical laboratory mouse polytropic proviruses, but the wild mouse infectious viruses had a more restricted host range. The M. spretus proviruses contributing to these recombinants were also sequenced. The seven sequenced proviruses were 99% identical to one another and to the recombinants; only two of the seven had obvious fatal defects. We conclude that the M. spretus proviruses are likely to be recent germ line acquisitions and that they contain functional genes that can contribute to the production of replication-competent virus.

Documentos Relacionados

• Genetic basis for resistance to polytropic murine leukemia viruses in the wild mouse species Mus castaneus.
• Structure and Distribution of Endogenous Nonecotropic Murine Leukemia Viruses in Wild Mice
• Construction and characterization of the recombinant Moloney murine leukemia viruses bearing the mouse Fv-4 env gene.
• Possible Derivation of the Laboratory Mouse Genome from Multiple Wild MUS Species
• Genomes of murine leukemia viruses isolated from wild mice.