Development of a pan-retrovirus detection system for multiple sclerosis studies.
BACKGROUND
Although recent claims implicating HTLV-1 in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been refuted, several reports suggest that another, hitherto uncharacterised, retrovirus may be involved. We have developed and applied a novel PCR-based strategy to explore this possibility.


METHODS
Degenerate oligonucleotides were used in a semi-nested format to amplify, from reverse-transcribed RNA, a region of the pol gene which is well conserved amongst all known retroviruses.


RESULTS
The 'pan-retrovirus' detection system was shown to be capable of detecting diverse retroviruses including human lentivirus, human oncovirus, simian D-type virus and murine oncovirus. The 'pan-retrovirus' technique identified a novel retroviral sequence, designated MSRV-cpol, in the serum of an MS patient and also in purified virions from MS patient-derived tissue cultures. Sequence comparisons suggest that in the pol gene MSRV is related (approximately 75% homology) to the endogenous retroviral element ERV9.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings lend further support to the concept of retroviral involvement in MS.
Tuke
P W
PW
Department of Virology, University College London Medical School, United Kingdom.
Perron
H
H
Bedin
F
F
Beseme
F
F
Garson
J A
JA
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015751:Genes, pol / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D017385:Sequence Homology
D015684:Gene Products, pol