MuMTV antigen expression and mammary tumor incidence in non-inbred dd mice.
The expression of mammary tumor virus (MTV) antigen in the milk and various organs of three non-inbred dd mouse stocks (ddO, ddN and ddY) was examined by the immunodiffusion (ID) and micro-immunodiffusion (micro-ID) tests. The rate of MTV antigen expression in the milk was 100% at the first lactation in ddO (6/6) and ddN mice (10/10), and 23% in ddY mice (3/13). Mammary tumor incidence was 13% (mean tumor age: 12.0 months), 32% (9.6 months) and 10% (11.5 months) in ddO, ddN and ddY mice, respectively, In F1 hybrids between MTV-free BALB/c females and dd males, a high level of MTV antigen was detected by the ID test in the milk of (BALB/c X ddO) F1, however, the levels in (BALB/c X ddN) F1 and (BALB/c X ddY) F1 mice were low at the first lactation and elevated with the advance of lactation number. Mammary tumor incidence had a trend to be higher and earlier in these F1 hybrids than in non-inbred dd stocks. The development of mammary tumors and detection of MTV antigen in F1 hybrids indicate the extrachromosomal transmission of MTV by male dd mice. The micro-ID test has shown that the mammary tumors, mammary glands, male genital organs except for the testis and the salivary gland expressed MTV antigen, with a high frequency of suggesting that secondary male genital organs may play an important role in MTV infection in mice.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000276:immunology; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology*; D008892:Milk / Q000276:immunology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology
D000956:Antigens, Viral