Human T-cell leukaemia virus type I is highly sensitive to UV-C light.
The biological characteristics of human T-cell leukaemia virus type I (HTLV-I) are not yet well understood. UV light C (UV-C) sensitivity of HTLV-I was studied using a newly established infectivity assay: infection with cell-free HTLV-I dose-dependently induced syncytial plaques in cat cells transduced with the tax1 gene of HTLV-I. HTLV-I was inactivated by a much lower UV dose than bovine leukaemia virus (BLV). The D(10) (10 % survival dose) of HTLV-I was about 20 J m(-2), while that of BLV was about 180 J m(-2), which was similar to the reported D(10) of BLV. The UV sensitivity of HTLV-I and BLV was also examined by detecting viral DNA synthesis 24 h after infection. The D(10) values determined by PCR using the gag primers for HTLV-I and BLV were close to those determined by the infectivity assays. Further PCR analyses were then performed to determine D(10) values using several different primers located between the 5'-long terminal repeat (5'-LTR) and the tax1 gene. The difference in UV sensitivity between HTLV-I and BLV was detected very early during replication, even during reverse transcription of the 5'-LTR of irradiated viruses, and became more prominent as reverse transcription proceeded towards the tax1 gene. Chimeric mouse retroviruses that contain the LTR-tax1 fragments of HTLV-I and BLV were made and hardly any difference in UV sensitivity was detected between them, suggesting that the difference was not determined by the linear RNA sequences of HTLV-I and BLV. HTLV-I was found to be much more sensitive than other retroviruses to UV.
Department of Dermatology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.|Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Akira
A
Shimizu
Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Nobuaki
N
Shimizu
Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Atsushi
A
Tanaka
Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Atsushi
A
Jinno-Oue
Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Bibhuti Bhusan
BB
Roy
Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Masahiko
M
Shinagawa
Department of Dermatology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Osamu
O
Ishikawa
Department of Virology and Preventive Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
Hiroo
H
Hoshino
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006367:HeLa Cells; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D001909:Leukemia Virus, Bovine / Q000528:radiation effects; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000528:radiation effects; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000528:radiation effects
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral