title: Identification of LTR-specific small non-coding RNA in FeLV infected cells.
abstract: The U3-LTR region of leukemia viruses transactivates cancer-related signaling pathways through the production of a non-coding RNA transcript although the role of this transcript in virus infection remains unknown. In this study we demonstrate for the first time that an long terminal repeat (LTR)-specific small non-coding RNA is produced from a feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-infected feline cell line. RNA cloning identified this as a 104 base transcript that originates from the U3-LTR region. We also demonstrate that in in vitro assays this LTR-RNA transcript activates NF kappaB signaling. Taken together, our findings suggest a possible role for this LTR transcript in FeLV pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02458, USA.
authors.forename: Lora W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: Ruma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pal-Ghosh
authors.forename: Remco A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Spanjaard
authors.forename: Douglas V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Faller
authors.forename: Sajal K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ghosh