Isolation of a chicken gene that confers susceptibility to infection by subgroup A avian leukosis and sarcoma viruses.
We used a genetic strategy to isolate the chicken gene believed to encode the receptor for subgroup A avian leukosis and sarcoma viruses (ALSV-A). Chicken genomic DNA was transfected into monkey COS-7 cells, and two independent primary transfectants susceptible to ALSV-A infection were identified by using ALSV-A vectors containing a hygromycin B resistance gene. A second round of transfection and selection in mouse BALB/3T3 fibroblasts again led to isolation of a transfectant susceptible to infection by ALSV-A. Plasmid DNA sequences linked to chicken DNA during the primary transfection segregated with chicken DNA in the secondary transfectant and served as a molecular tag to clone the gene conferring susceptibility. Expression of the cloned gene in mouse BALB/3T3 cells conferred susceptibility to infection by ALSV-A but not by ALSV-B. Therefore the cloned gene most probably represents the tv-a locus, the genetically defined receptor gene for ALSV-A.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco 94143.
J A
JA
Young
P
P
Bates
H E
HE
Varmus
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001353:Avian Leukosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001354:Avian Leukosis Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013045:Species Specificity; D014162:Transfection
D004279:DNA, Viral; D011991:Receptors, Virus