Chinese hamster ovary cells contain transcriptionally active full-length type C proviruses.
We have isolated a genomic locus from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that contains a full-length provirus. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that it is a defective member of the rodent type C retrovirus family with an env region that is similar to those of mouse amphotropic retrovirus and subgroup B feline leukemia virus. We were able to demonstrate that this provirus is a member of a closely related family of full-length proviruses in CHO cells and Chinese hamster liver. Hybridization probes generated from this genomic clone were used to characterize type C retrovirus RNA expression in CHO cells. Full-length genomic RNA and subgenomic envelope mRNA were detected in CHO cell lines but not in the human-derived 293 cell line. Interestingly, we discovered that the site of retrovirus integration lies within a G repeat sequence belonging to the short interspersed element family of retroposons.
Molecular Virology Laboratory, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080.
Y S
YS
Lie
E M
EM
Penuel
M A
MA
Low
T P
TP
Nguyen
J O
JO
Mangahas
K P
KP
Anderson
C J
CJ
Petropoulos
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D017931:DNA Primers; D015870:Gene Expression; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016662:Virus Integration
D017931:DNA Primers; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral