Molecular analysis of a recombinant M-MuLV/RaLV retrovirus.
A replication-competent retrovirus was isolated from Rat1 cells after stable transfection of a defective Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) provirus bearing mutations in two conserved cysteines of the TM protein. Immunoprecipitation of the viral proteins indicated the infectious virus is not related to M-MuLV. Electron microscopy of budding virions revealed a mammalian type C virus. The host range of the virus is limited to rat cells. N-terminal sequence analysis of the capsid-associated protein identified the virus to be related to rat leukemia virus (RaLV). Analysis of the cloned sequences indicated a recombinant provirus with a genetic organization in which the leader region and open reading frames of the endogenous RaLV are flanked by identical M-MuLV LTRs at both ends. These results highlight the effects of exogenous viral infection on endogenous viruses.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Rodrigo A
RA
Villanueva
Stephen
S
Campbell
Monica J
MJ
Roth
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003673:Defective Viruses; D017988:Gammaretrovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D051381:Rats; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
D014764:Viral Proteins