Biochemical analysis of murine leukemia viruses isolated from radiation-induced leukemias of strain BALB/c

A highly leukemogenic radiation leukemia virus isolate is a thymotropic, immunosuppressive retrovirus with a unique RNA structure

Clones of N-, B- and NB-fibrotropic viruses were isolated from weakly (D-RadLV) and strongly (A-RadLV) leukomogenic RadLV preparations. A highly leukemogenic, thymotropic virus (TV) was isolated by ex-vivo infection of thymocytes with A-RadLV. This virus could not be isolated from D-RadLV. Two-dimensional fingerprint analysis suggested that TV recombines unique RNA sequences with RNA genomic material derived from a B-tropic endogenous virus. C57BL/6 (B6) mice injected with B- or NB-fibrotropic clones, but not with TV or N-tropic viral clones, developed reactive T lymphocytes (Tr), capable of differentiating into anti-tumor cytotoxic cells. The N-tropic virus isolates were non-immunogenic in B6 mice whereas the TV isolate induced suppressor T lymphocytes (Ts) that abrogated a potential Tr response. These results suggest that emergence of highly leukemogenic RadLV involves activation of endogenous fibrotropic virus which is immunogenic in its natural host strain (B6). This virus can further recombine with other retroviral genetic sequences, resulting in a suppressogenic and thymotropic, highly leukemogenic virus.

A comparative analysis of radiation- and virus-induced leukemias in BALB/c mice

Endogenous murine leukemia virus (MuLV) proviral copies were analyzed in thymomas induced in normal BALB/c (Fv-1b) and in Fv-1n congenic mice by X-irradiation. Both strains of mice developed leukemia with similar kinetics, indicating that N-tropism of endogenous MuLV was not a rate-limiting factor in development of disease. Southern blot analysis, using a probe specific for ecotropic virus and for ecotropic-specific sequences retained in pathogenic, env-recombinant viruses, showed that the majority of radiation leukemias lacked newly acquired, clonally integrated, proviruses. This was in contrast to virus-induced leukemias, which routinely exhibited several new proviral integration sites. When an internal proviral DNA restriction fragment was monitored, some radiation leukemias showed evidence of nonclonal infection, accounting for more frequent isolation of infectious virus from such leukemias. Differences in expression of T-cell surface antigens were found in X-ray-induced and virus-induced leukemias. All radiation leukemias were TL positive, whereas virus-induced leukemias were primarily negative for TL. Some differences were also found in Lyt-1 and Lyt-2 expression. The data as a whole suggest that, in the majority of cases, radiation leukemogenesis is not initiated by a viral route--that is, the sort of viral mechanism for which exogenous infection by known pathogenic MuLV is the paradigm.

High- and low-leukemogenic variants of the radiation leukemia virus (RadLV): immunogenic, suppressive and genetic properties in relation to leukemogenic activity

C57BL/6 (B6) mice inoculated with the highly leukemogenic variant of the radiation leukemia virus (A-RadLV) develop suppressor cells capable of abrogating potential anti-tumor immunity in vitro and in vivo. Inoculation of B6 animals with the low-leukemogenic D-RadLV variant does not result in suppressor cell generation but induces antitumor reactive lymphocytes. A-RadLV and D-RadLV are not leukemogenic in BALB/c or (B6 X BALB/c)F1(F1) mice, and reactive but not suppressor lymphocytes could be demonstrated in F1 animals inoculated with either virus. Infectivity assays and fingerprint analysis revealed that A-RadLV and D-RadLV contain viruses with N and B tropism. In addition, thymoma cells induced by A-RadLV produced another virus with a fingerprint pattern containing X-MuLV elements. The possible implications of the different virus types on the immunogenic and leukemogenic properties of the RadLV variants are discussed.

Cloning of terminal transferase cDNA by antibody screening

A cDNA library was prepared from a terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-containing thymoma in the lambda phage vector lambda gt11. By screening plaques with anti-terminal transferase antibody, positive clones were identified of which some had beta-galactosidase-cDNA fusion proteins identifiable after electrophoretic fractionation by immunoblotting with anti-terminal transferase antibody. The predominant class of cross-hybridizing clones was determined to represent cDNA for terminal transferase by showing that one representative clone hybridized to a 2200-nucleotide mRNA in close-matched enzyme-positive but not to enzyme-negative cells and that the cDNA selected a mRNA that translated to give a protein of the size and antigenic characteristics of terminal transferase. Only a small amount of genomic DNA hybridized to the longest available clone, indicating that the sequence is virtually unique in the mouse genome.

Ecotropic MuLV expression in radiation-induced lymphomas of the RF, BALB/c and (BALB/c X RF)F1 mouse strains

Endogenous ecotropic viruses isolated from radiation-induced lymphomatous tissue of BALB/c mice have been shown to consist of a collection of variants as assayed by the mobility of virion structural proteins p30, p15, p12 and gp70 on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) (Ellis et al., 1980 a). In this study we show that a similar phenomenon occurs in RF mice, but only with regard to p15 and gp70, and not p30 and p12. Using the distinct and unvarying mobility of the RF viral p12 protein on SDS-PAGE as a marker, we show that the RF-derived ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) is expressed to the exclusion of the BALB/c-derived ecotropic MuLV in F1 hybrid mice of the BALB/c X RF cross, and that variant viruses expressed in F1 radiation-induced lymphomatous tissue display the pattern of variation characteristic of the RF, and not of the BALB/c, strain.

Evidence for a new form of retroviral env transcript in leukemic and normal mouse lymphoid cells

Murine leukemia virus-related RNA species were examined in a set of radiation-induced T-cell leukemias from BALB/c mice. No evidence was found for linkage of viral long terminal repeat-derived (U5) sequences to information of host origin. A novel class of 2-kilobase (kb) env-related transcripts, about 1kb shorter than normal viral env messenger, was found in all the leukemias. All of the 2-kb transcripts contained sequences homologous to the xenotropic virus-related env sequences in the Friend spleen focus-forming virus, representing the N-terminal portion of gp70. In two of the leukemias, these transcripts were found to contain both ecotropic p15E and U3 sequences in addition to the xenotropic gp70-related sequence. These two leukemias, but not others in which ecotropic sequences were absent from the 2-kb RNA, harbored several copies of a specific class of env recombinant proviruses. These proviruses possessed full-size env genes and were submethylated, as shown by SmaI and XmaI digests of proviral DNA. Low levels of 2-kb RNA were found in normal thymocytes from strains BALB/c, AKR, and 129 but not from congenic 129 GIX- mice. It is possible that the 2-kb RNA may originate by a novel splicing step that removes portions of the gp70 and p15E sequences from full-length env transcripts.

Variants of type-C retroviruses from DBA/2 mice: protein-structural and biological properties

Ecotropic murine leukemia viruses isolated from normal and carcinogen-treated DBA/2 mice can be classified into three main groups that differ in structure and biology. Two groups, called Ea and Eb, consist of N-tropic viruses related to the standard endogenous ecotropic virus of AKR mice. Ea viruses replicate with reduced efficiency in cell lines derived from C3H mice, while Eb viruses essentially replicate normally in these cells. As elsewhere reported, Ea viruses appear apathogenic in C3H mice, while Eb viruses cause a moderate incidence of late leukemias. The biological differences are associated with modulations of the fine structure of the gag gene-encoded proteins. A third group of viruses, called Ec, is clearly more diverged. They differ extensively from Ea and Eb viruses in the products of the gag and env gene, and are related to Rauscher leukemia virus. Ec viruses are NB-ecotropic; they replicate efficiently in all mouse cells tested, and induce leukemias in C3H mice with shorter latency periods than Eb viruses. Since published nucleic acid hybridization data indicate that DBA/2 mice only carry one ecotropic provirus, we assume that the DBA/2 viruses represent a developmental series of variants evolving during the life of the animals.

Fv-1 host restriction of Friend leukemia virus: oligonucleotide analysis of host range variants

The Fv-1 murine gene controls predominantly the replication of leukemia viruses of murine cells. Forced passage by B-tropic Friend leukemia virus in the restrictive host cells (NIH, Fv-1n/n) results in viral progeny capable of replicating efficiently in murine cells of any Fv-1 type, which are denoted as NB-tropic virus. We have studied the RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotide pattern of a series of NB-tropic Friend virus isolates and have been able to show changes from the parental B-tropic virus which occur at the 5' end of the genome. Cloned NB-tropic virus falls into three classes, demonstrating either four, one, or no apparent changes in the genome. These results suggest the possibility that conversion to NB tropism occurs by a recombination mechanism but, since change to NB tropism can occur without any observable oligonucleotide alteration, they do not confirm that any single oligonucleotide is diagnostic of NB tropism.

In vitro generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes against radiation- and radiation leukemia virus-induced tumors. III. Suppression of anti-tumor immunity in vitro by lymphocytes of mice undergoing radiation leukemia virus-induced leukemogenesis

Adult C57BL/6 mice exposed to fractionated irradiation or inoculated with the radiation leukemia virus (RadLV), develop high incidence (80-100%) of lymphatic leukemias within 3-6 mo. RadLV-induced lymphomas can elicit cytotoxic responses in vitro in lymphocytes of preimmunized syngeneic mice, a reaction that is dependent on the expression of membrane-associated viral antigenicity. As soon as 5 d after RadLV inoculation, and during the entire leukemogenic process, suppressor T cells are detectable in the spleen that are capable of specifically abrogating generation of syngeneic anti-tumor cytotoxic cells in vitro. Mice exposed to fractionated x irradiation do not develop suppressor cells and their splenocytes may be stimulated in vitro to generate cytotoxicity toward RadLV-induced leukemias. These findings suggest that although RadLV has been isolated from radiation-induced leukemias, x-ray- and RadLV-induced leukemogenesis do not seem to involve a common viral etiology, and that induction of suppressor cells during RadLV leukemogenesis may be essential for tumor progression.

Relationship of GIX antigen expression to the glycosylation of murine leukemia virus glycoprotein

The GIX antigen, which is expressed on the surface of thymocytes of certain mouse strains, is an antigenic determinant of the major envelope glycoprotein of murine leukemia virus (gp70). Although GIX is expressed in some mouse strains that appear to be free of virus, the antigen can also be induced in GIX- mice by infection with particular murine leukemia viruses (termed GIX+). We have investigated the envelope gene products from two closely related viruses that differ in their GIX phenotype. Analysis of the envelope protein precursors by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and endoglycosidase treatment indicated that the GIX+ viral protein contained six oligosaccharide chains, whereas the GIX- viral protein contained seven. The observed differences in gel electrophoretic mobilities and glycopeptide profiles of the respective glycosylated envelope gene cleavage products (gp70) may be accounted for by the presence of an additional oligosaccharide chain on the gp70 of the GIX- virus. No differences between the apparent molecular weights of the nonglycosylated product of the envelope gene (p15E) were detected. These results suggest that the GIX- virus codes for an extra glycosylation site relative to the GIX+ virus, and this oligosaccharide chain is present both on the envelope gene precursor (Prenv) and on the major cleavage product (gp70). Recent nucleotide sequence analyses of selected RNase T1 oligonucleotides from the genomes of viruses that differ in GIX phenotype have similarly suggested that there may be a correlation between the GIX- phenotype and an extra glycosylation site [Donis-Keller, H., Rommelaere, J., Ellis, R. W. & Hopkins, N. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 1642-1645]. The results of these two different approaches raise the possibility that the presence of an additional oligosaccharide chain on gp70 may, either directly or indirectly, mask the expression of the GIX antigen on the surfaces of thymocytes and virus-infected cells.

Association of endogenous retroviruses with radiation-induced leukemias of BALB/c mice

X-irradiation of BALB/c mice in the second month of life induced a high incidence of generalized lymphatic leukemia of T-cell origin, beginning at 7 months of age. Infectious ecotropic murine leukemia virus (B-tropic predominant over N-tropic) was isolable from all tumor extracts but exhibited a wide titer range among individual leukemias. Detection of infectious xenotropic virus usually required extensive amplification on indicator cells. Dual-tropic (mink cell focus-forming) virus has not been found in the leukemias. Expression of ecotropic virus in tail extracts prepared at 6.5 months of age, although greatly enhanced compared with unirradiated controls, was not found to be prognostic of tumor development in individual mice. We conclude that leukemogenesis does not show a simple dependence on infectious murine leukemia virus expression in these mice.