A novel subgenomic murine leukemia virus RNA transcript results from alternative splicing.
Here we show the existence of a novel subgenomic 4.4-kb RNA in cells infected with the prototypic replication-competent Friend or Moloney murine leukemia viruses (MuLV). This RNA derives by splicing from an alternative donor site (SD') within the capsid-coding region to the canonical envelope splice acceptor site. The position and the sequence of SD' was highly conserved among mammalian type C and D oncoviruses. Point mutations used to inactivate SD' without changing the capsid-coding ability affected viral RNA splicing and reduced viral replication in infected cells.
Déjardin
J
J
Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, IFR 24, CNRS-UMR5535, and Université Montpellier II, F-34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Bompard-Maréchal
G
G
Audit
M
M
Hope
T J
TJ
Sitbon
M
M
Mougel
M
M
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005622:Friend murine leukemia virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral