A novel V beta 2-specific endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus which is capable of producing a milk-borne exogenous virus.
We have previously reported new Mtv loci, Mtv-48 and -51, in the Japanese laboratory mouse strains CS and NC. Here we show by backcross analysis that both Mtv-48 and -51 cosegregate with very slow deletion of T cells bearing V beta 2. The nucleotide sequences of the open reading frames in the 3' long terminal repeats of Mtv-48 and -51 were very similar to those of Mtv-DDO, mouse mammary tumor virus C4 [MMTV(C4)], and MMTV(BALB/cV), which encode V beta 2-specific superantigens. Furthermore, backcross female mice carrying Mtv-48 but not Mtv-51 were found to be able to produce milk-borne MMTV(CS), which can vigorously stimulate V beta 2-expressing T cells after local injection in vivo in an I-E-dependent manner. On the other hand, mice carrying Mtv-51 but not Mtv-48 could not produce such an MMTV in milk. The nucleotide sequences of MMTV(CS) open reading frame were completely matched with those of Mtv-48. These results indicate that the provirus Mtv-48 but not Mtv-51 is capable of producing a milk-borne virus of which the superantigen stimulates V beta 2-expressing T cells.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D008892:Milk / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D018089:Superantigens / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D017931:DNA Primers; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018089:Superantigens