Production of murine leukemia virus in the immunodeficient wasted mutant mouse is associated with the wst allele.
The recessive mutation "wasted" (wst) is responsible for a neuroimmunological syndrome and premature death in homozygous wst/wst mice. In contrast, +/wst heterozygotes appear phenotypically normal. The present study assessed the production of endogenous murine leukemia virus (MuLV) in lymphoid organs of homozygous wasted (wst/wst), heterozygous wasted (+/wst) and control wild type (+/+) mice. Neither mutant nor control mice produced ecotropic MuLV. In contrast, lymphoid organs from wst/wst and +/wst mice produced endogenous xenotropic MuLV. MuLV production was not detectable in the same organs of +/+ control mice. +/wst heterozygotes produced xenotropic MuLV in the thymus, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes but not in the bone marrow. Wst/wst mutants produced xenotropic MuLV, but only in the thymus. These findings demonstrate an association between the production of endogenous xenotropic MuLV and the wasted mutation.
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000382:microbiology*; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000254:growth & development*; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000382:microbiology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase