title: Simian sarcoma-associated virus fails to infect Chinese hamster cells despite the presence of functional gibbon ape leukemia virus receptors.
abstract: We have sequenced the envelope genes from each of the five members of the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) family of type C retroviruses. Four of the GALVs, including GALV strain SEATO (GALV-S), were originally isolated from gibbon apes, whereas the fifth member of this family, simian sarcoma-associated virus (SSAV), was isolated from a woolly monkey and shares 78% amino acid identity with GALV-S. To determine whether these viruses have identical host ranges, we evaluated the susceptibility of several cell lines to either GALV-S or SSAV infection. GALV-S and SSAV have the same host range with the exception of Chinese hamster lung E36 cells, which are susceptible to GALV-S but not SSAV. We used retroviral vectors that differ only in their envelope composition (e.g., they contain either SSAV or GALV-S envelope protein) to show that the envelope of SSAV restricts entry into E36 cells. Although unable to infect E36 cells, SSAV infects GALV-resistant murine cells expressing the E36-derived viral receptor, HaPit2. These results suggest that the receptors present on E36 cells function for SSAV. We have constructed several vectors containing GALV-S/SSAV chimeric envelope proteins to map the region of the SSAV envelope that blocks infection of E36 cells. Vectors bearing chimeric envelopes comprised of the N-terminal region of the GALV-S SU protein and the C-terminal region of SSAV infect E36 cells, whereas vectors containing the N-terminal portion of the SSAV SU protein and C-terminal portion of GALV-S fail to infect E36 cells. This finding indicates that the region of the SSAV envelope protein responsible for restricting SSAV infection of E36 cells lies within its amino-terminal region.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Regulation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Chaudry
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Eiden
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015752:Genes, env; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006378:Helper Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017989:Leukemia Virus, Gibbon Ape / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012842:Sarcoma Virus, Woolly Monkey / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins