title: Infectivity and insertional mutagenesis of endogenous retrovirus in autoimmune NZB and B/W mice.
abstract: Murine leukaemia virus has been suggested to contribute to both autoimmune disease and leukaemia in the NZB mouse and in the (NZB × NZW) F1 (abbreviated B/W) mouse. However, with apparently only xenotropic but no ecotropic virus constitutively expressed in these mice, few mechanisms could explain the aetiology of either disease in either mouse strain. Because pseudotyped and/or inducible ecotropic virus may play a role, we surveyed the ability of murine leukaemia virus in NZB, NZW and B/W mice to infect and form a provirus. From the spleen of NZB mice, we isolated circular cDNA of xenotropic and polytropic virus, which indicates ongoing infection by these viruses. From a B/W lymphoma, we isolated and determined the complete sequence of a putative ecotropic NZW virus. From B/W mice, we recovered de novo endogenous retroviral integration sites (tags) from the hyperproliferating cells of the spleen and the peritoneum. The tagged genes seemed to be selected to aid cellular proliferation, as several of them are known cancer genes. The insertions are consistent with the idea that endogenous retrovirus contributes to B-cell hyperproliferation and progression to lymphoma in B/W mice.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0414, USA.
authors: Gabriele B
authors: GB
authors: Beck-Engeser
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0414, USA.
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Ahrends
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0414, USA.
authors: Gero
authors: G
authors: Knittel
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0414, USA.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Wabl
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0414, USA.
authors: Mirjam
authors: M
authors: Metzner
authors: Department of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital and The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Eilat
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0414, USA.
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Wabl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*