Transmission of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 to mice.
Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, and other diseases. For prevention of the transmission of HTLV-1 and manifestation of these diseases, a small-animal model, especially a mouse model, would be useful. We injected HTLV-1-producing T cells (MT-2) intraperitoneally into neonatal C3H/HeJ mice. While the antibody against HTLV-1 antigens was not detectable in C3H/HeJ mice, HTLV-1 provirus was frequently detected in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus by PCR. HTLV-1 provirus was present at the level of 0 to 30 molecules in 10(5) spleen cells at the age of 15 weeks. In addition, a 59-bp flanking sequence of the HTLV-1 integration site was amplified from the spleen DNA by linker-mediated PCR and was confirmed to be derived from the mouse genome. HTLV-1 provirus was found in the T-cell fraction of the mouse spleen. These results indicate that mice can be infected by HTLV-1 and could serve as an animal model for the study of HTLV-1 infection and its pathogenesis in vivo.
Fang
J
J
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Kushida
S
S
Feng
R
R
Tanaka
M
M
Kawamura
T
T
Abe
H
H
Maeda
N
N
Onobori
M
M
Hori
M
M
Uchida
K
K
Miwa
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015750:Genes, gag; D016355:Genes, pX; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D016662:Virus Integration
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015480:Deltaretrovirus Antibodies; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral