title: Identification and deletion of sequences required for feline leukemia virus RNA packaging and construction of a high-titer feline leukemia virus packaging cell line.
abstract: Sequences required for specific encapsidation of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) genomic RNA have not yet been defined. Deletion of 107 nucleotides between the splice donor (SD) and the gag coding region of a prototypic subgroup A FeLV, 61E, resulted in an approximately 200-fold reduction of packaged viral RNA. Virus particle production was not disrupted by the deletion, although viral infectivity was dramatically reduced. These data indicate that the 107-nucleotide sequence comprises a portion of the FeLV packaging signal. FeLV particles expressed from the deleted genome were able to efficiently package murine leukemia virus vectors, resulting in high-titer G418R virus production. This system can be easily adapted to produce FeLV particles that contain envelope proteins from other feline leukemia virus subgroups and will be broadly useful for studies of FeLV envelope/receptor interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Alderete
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overbaugh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002415:Cats; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral; D003673:Defective Viruses; D004285:Dogs; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins