Phylogenetic and Structural Diversity in the Feline Leukemia Virus Env Gene

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) belongs to the genus Gammaretrovirus, and causes a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases in cats. Alteration of viral env sequences is thought to be associated with disease specificity, but the way in which genetic diversity of FeLV contributes to the generation of such variants in nature is poorly understood. We isolated FeLV env genes from naturally infected cats in Japan and analyzed the evolutionary dynamics of these genes. Phylogenetic reconstructions separated our FeLV samples into three distinct genetic clusters, termed Genotypes I, II, and III. Genotype I is a major genetic cluster and can be further classified into Clades 1–7 in Japan. Genotypes were correlated with geographical distribution; Genotypes I and II were distributed within Japan, whilst FeLV samples from outside Japan belonged to Genotype III. These results may be due to geographical isolation of FeLVs in Japan. The observed structural diversity of the FeLV env gene appears to be caused primarily by mutation, deletion, insertion and recombination, and these variants may be generated de novo in individual cats. FeLV interference assay revealed that FeLV genotypes did not correlate with known FeLV receptor subgroups. We have identified the genotypes which we consider to be reliable for evaluating phylogenetic relationships of FeLV, which embrace the high structural diversity observed in our sample. Overall, these findings extend our understanding of Gammaretrovirus evolutionary patterns in the field, and may provide a useful basis for assessing the emergence of novel strains and understanding the molecular mechanisms of FeLV transmission in cats.     

Cytopathogenic Test for Feline Leukemia Virus Infections

A mixed culture cytopathogenic effect with the development of multinucleated giant cells in feline leukemia virus-infected cultures after cocultivation with XC cells is described. This cytopathogenic effect has been utilized as a convenient visual marker for the detection and assay of feline leukemia virus in feline and canine embryo fibroblasts as well as in a canine tumor cell line, M-132-1. Comparison of the cytopathogenic reaction in the three cell lines indicates that the reaction is more rapid and pronounced in M-132-1 cells than in the embryo fibroblast cultures.     

In Vivo Evolution of a Novel, Syncytium-Inducing and Cytopathic Feline Leukemia Virus Variant

Studies of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) have illustrated the importance of the genotype of the infecting virus in determining disease outcome. In FeLV infections, as in other retroviral infections, it is less clear how virus variants that evolve from the transmitted virus affect pathogenesis. We previously reported an analysis of the genotypic changes that occur in the viral envelope gene (env) in cats infected with a prototype transmissible FeLV clone, 61E (J. Rohn, M. Linenberger, E. Hoover, and J. Overbaugh, J. Virol. 68:2458–2467, 1994). In one cat, each variant (81T) had evolved, in addition to scattered amino acid changes, a four-amino-acid insertion with respect to 61E. This insertion was located at the same site in the extracellular envelope glycoprotein where the immunodeficiency-inducing molecular clone 61C possesses a six-amino-acid insertion critical for its pathogenic phenotype, although the sequences of the insertions were distinct. To determine whether acquisition of the four-amino-acid insertion was associated with a change in the replication or cytopathic properties of the virus, we constructed chimeras encoding 81T env genes in a 61E background. One representative chimeric virus, EET(TE)-109, was highly cytopathic despite the fact that it replicated with delayed kinetics in the feline T-cell line 3201 compared to the parental 61E virus. The phenotype of this virus was also novel compared to other FeLVs, including both the parental virus 61E and the immunodeficiency-inducing variant 61C, because infection of T cells was associated with syncytium formation. Moreover, in single-cycle infection assays, the 81T-109 envelope demonstrated receptor usage properties distinct from those of both 61E and 61C envelope. Thus, these studies demonstrate the evolution of a novel T-cell cytopathic and syncytium-inducing FeLV in the host. The 81T virus will be valuable for dissecting the mechanism of T-cell killing by cytopathic variants in the FeLV model.     

Immuno-Chromatographic Assay for Diagnosis of Feline Leukemia Virus Infection

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infectious disease is one of feline infection diseases spreading broadly all over the world. For bedside diagnosis of FeLV infectious disease, an immuno-chromatographic assay was investigated. Five different monoclonal antibodies were developed against the major core protein FeLV-p27. Among them, the combination of FL6 and FL12, which had little epitopic overlap each other, showed the highest sensitivity with no cross-reaction to the other feline virus antigens when they were employed to the immuno-chromatographic assay. The system had a practical detection limit of 0.5 ng of FeLV-p27 per 0.1 ml of feline sera within 15 min. In comparison with clinical standard methods, the system gave rapidly and accurately the same diagnosis with neither false negative nor false positive. Moreover, it did not need any pretreatment of blood specimen.     

Properties of Feline Leukemia Virus II. In Vitro Labeling of the Polypeptides

Radioactive labeling of proteins from guanidine-hydrochloride disrupted feline leukemia virus was done in vitro by attaching [(3)H]methyl groups to protein amino groups with reductive alkylation. When in vitro labeled disrupted virus was analyzed by gel filtration in the presence of 6 M guanidine-hydrochloride the expected six major and one minor protein peaks were detected. When the same preparation was analyzed by immunodiffusion, the three antigens tested were found to have retained their antigenic activity.     

Properties of Feline Leukemia Virus I. Chromatographic Separation and Analysis of the Polypeptides

Rickard's strain of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) contains two large glycoproteins and five smaller polypeptides of molecular weights 100,000 (gp >/= 100), 70,000 (gp70), 30,000 (p30), 21,000 (p21), 15,000 (p15), 11,200 (p11), and 10,000 (p10) when chromatographed on 6% agarose in the presence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl). P21 is a minor component which was not previously described for mammalian leukemia-sarcoma viruses and may be analogous to the seventh protein found in avian viruses. Analysis on 4% agarose and by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that gp >/= 100 is actually >/= 200,000 daltons and dissociates to polypeptides of approximately 100,000 to 115,000 daltons, whereas gp70 can be resolved into six stained bands ranging from 40,000 to 80,000 daltons despite being rechromatographed as a single symmetrical peak on 6% agarose. Rechromatography on 8% agarose was found to be more effective than on 6% agarose or sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for obtaining the five small polypeptides, especially p11 and p10, in a highly purified form suitable for further analysis and for obtaining more precise estimates of their molecular weights, especially when done by co-chromatography with iodinated standard proteins markers. Rechromatographed p30, p21, p15, p11, and p10 had molecular weights of 27,000, 18,000, 15,000, 12,000, and 12,000 respectively, by co-electrophoresis with the marker proteins on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, clearly establishing that the latter two FeLV polypeptides comigrate to form one less band when compared to elution from agarose. The isoelectric points of p30 and p15 were 5.5 and 8.9, respectively, after renaturation from GuHCl and 5.6 and 8.7, respectively, when isolated from Tween-ether treated virus. Rechromatographed p30, p15, and p11, renatured by removing GuHCl with dialysis, reacted only with their homologous antisera in immunodiffusion analysis, indicating that they are immunologically unrelated. Also the interspecies gs-3 determinant associated with p30 could be regained by removal of GuHCl.     

RNA干扰对乙肝病毒基因的抑制作用

双链介导的遗传干涉的机制是1998年发现的。它通过双链RNA的介导特异性地降解相应序列从而导致转录后水平的基因沉默。RNA干扰作为后基因组时代的一种下调基因表达的工具已被广泛用于基因功能的研究以及疾病的治疗。利用小干扰RNA与乙肝病毒DNA通过共转染于HepG2肝癌细胞中使乙肝病毒基因沉默以达到抑制乙肝病毒复制作用。     

RNA干扰对乙肝病毒基因的抑制作用

双链介导的遗传干涉的机制是1998年发现的。它通过双链RNA的介导特异性地降解相应序列从而导致转录后水平的基因沉默。RNA干扰作为后基因组时代的一种下调基因表达的工具已被广泛用于基因功能的研究以及疾病的治疗。利用小干扰RNA与乙肝病毒DNA通过共传染于HepG2肝癌细胞中使乙肝病毒基因沉默以达到抑制乙肝病毒复制作用。     

The Receptor Binding Site of Feline Leukemia Virus Surface Glycoprotein Is Distinct from the Site Involved in Virus Neutralization

The external surface glycoprotein (SU) of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) contains sites which define the viral subgroup and induce virus-neutralizing antibodies. The subgroup phenotypic determinants have been located to a small variable region, VR1, towards the amino terminus of SU. The sites which function as neutralizing epitopes in vivo are unknown. Recombinant SU proteins were produced by using baculoviruses that contained sequences encoding the SUs of FeLV subgroup A (FeLV-A), FeLV-C, and two chimeric FeLVs (FeLV-215 and FeLV-VC) in which the VR1 domain of FeLV-A had been replaced by the corresponding regions of FeLV-C isolates. The recombinant glycoproteins, designated Bgp70-A, -C, -215, and -VC, respectively, were similar to their wild-type counterparts in several immunoblots and inhibited infection of susceptible cell lines in a subgroup-specific manner. Thus, Bgp70-A interfered with infection by FeLV-A, whereas Bgp70-C, -VC, and -215 did not. Conversely, Bgp70-C, -VC, and -215 blocked infection with FeLV-C, while Bgp70-A had no effect. These results indicate that the site on SU which binds to the FeLV cell surface receptor was preserved in the recombinant glycoproteins. It was also found that the recombinant proteins were able to bind naturally occurring neutralizing antibodies. Bgp70-A, -VC, and -215 interfered with the action of anti-FeLV-A neutralizing antibodies, whereas Bgp70-C did not. Furthermore, Bgp70-C interfered with the action of anti-FeLV-C neutralizing antibodies, while the other proteins did not. These results indicate that the neutralizing epitope(s) of FeLV SU lies outside the subgroup-determining VR1 domain.     

Analysis of the Disease Potential of a Recombinant Retrovirus Containing Friend Murine Leukemia Virus Sequences and a Unique Long Terminal Repeat from Feline Leukemia Virus

We have molecularly cloned a feline leukemia virus (FeLV) (clone 33) from a domestic cat with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The long terminal repeat (LTR) of this virus, like the LTRs present in FeLV proviruses from other cats with AML, contains an unusual structure in its U3 region upstream of the enhancer (URE) consisting of three tandem direct repeats of 47 bp. To test the disease potential and specificity of this unique FeLV LTR, we replaced the U3 region of the LTR of the erythroleukemia-inducing Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) with that of FeLV clone 33. When the resulting virus, F33V, was injected into newborn mice, almost all of the mice eventually developed hematopoietic malignancies, with a significant percentage being in the myeloid lineage. This is in contrast to mice injected with an F-MuLV recombinant containing the U3 region of another FeLV that lacks repetitive URE sequences, none of which developed myeloid malignancies. Examination of tumor proviruses from F33V-infected mice failed to detect any changes in FeLV U3 sequences other than that in the URE. Like F-MuLV-infected mice, those infected with the F-MuLV/FeLV recombinants were able to generate and replicate mink cell focus-inducing viruses. Our studies are consistent with the idea that the presence of repetitive sequences upstream of the enhancer in the LTR of FeLV may favor the activation of this promoter in myeloid cells and contribute to the development of malignancies in this hematopoietic lineage.     

Disease propagation in connected host populations with density-dependent dynamics: the case of the Feline Leukemia Virus

Spatial heterogeneity is a strong determinant of host-parasite relationships, however local-scale mechanisms are often not elucidated. Generally speaking, in many circumstances dispersal is expected to increase disease persistence. We consider the case when host populations show density-dependent dynamics and are connected through the dispersal of individuals. Taking the domestic cats (Felis catus)--Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) as a toy model of host-microparasite system, we predict the disease dynamics when two host populations with distinct or similar structures are connected together and to the surrounding environment by dispersal. Our model brings qualitatively different predictions from one-population models. First, as expected, biologically realistic rates of dispersal may allow FeLV to persist in sets of populations where the virus would have gone extinct otherwise, but a reverse outcome is also possible: eradication of FeLV from a small population by connexion to a larger population where it is not persistent. Second, overall prevalence as well as depression of host population size due to infection are both enhanced by dispersal, even at low dispersal rates when disease persistence is not achieved in the two populations. This unexpected prediction is probably due to the combination of dispersal with density-dependent population dynamics. Third, the dispersal of non-infectious cats has more influence on virus prevalence than the dispersal of infectious. Finally, prevalence and depression of host population size are both related to the rate of dispersion, to the health status of individuals dispersing and to the dynamics of host populations.     

Surface Antigens on Cat Leukemic Cells Induced by Feline Leukemia Virus: Area Density and Antibody-Binding Affinity

The binding of autologous bovine antibody to feline leukemia virus-induced cell surface antigens (FeCSA) on cat leukemia cells was studied by performing certain titration procedures with a mixture of immune and normal sera labeled with different iodine radioisotopes (paired-label technique). By using plots of titration data which conformed to linear equations derived from the mass action law, we determined the following constants. (i) The density of FeCSA was 2.03 x 10(6) sites per cell, or 5,230 sites per mum(2). (ii) The equilibrium constant of the FeCSA-antibody reaction was 2.67 x 10(7), from which the antibody binding affinity or standard free energy of the FeCSA-antibody bond was determined to be - 10.48 kcal (-43,869.28 J) per mol. The use of the techniques described to measure the concentration of antibody in antiserum, in micrograms per milliliter, is discussed.     

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus as a Gene Transfer Vector in the Rat Nucleus Tractus Solitarii

Gene transfer has been used to examine the role of putative neurotransmitters in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). Most such studies used adenovirus vector-mediated gene transfer although adenovirus vector transfects both neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Successful transfection in the NTS has also been reported with lentivirus as the vector. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a lentivirus, may preferentially transfect neurons and could be a powerful tool to delineate physiological effects produced by altered synthesis of transmitters in neurons. However, it has not been studied in NTS. Therefore, we sought to determine whether FIV transfects rat NTS cells and to define the type of cell transfected. We found that injection of FIV encoding LacZ gene (FIVLacZ) into the NTS led to transfection of numerous NTS cells. Injection of FIVLacZ did not alter immunoreactivity (IR) for neuronal nitric oxide synthase, which we have shown resides in NTS neurons. A majority (91.7 ± 3.9%) of transfected cells contained IR for neuronal nuclear antigen, a neuronal marker; 2.1 ± 3.8% of transfected cells contained IR for glial fibrillary acidic protein, a glial marker. No transfected neurons or fibers were observed in the nodose ganglion, which sends afferents to the NTS. We conclude that FIV almost exclusively transfects neurons in the rat NTS from which it is not retrogradely transported. The cell-type specificity of FIV in the NTS may provide a molecular method to study local physiological functions mediated by potential neurotransmitters in the NTS.     

Nucleotide Sequence of the Akv env Gene

The sequence of 2,191 nucleotides encoding the env gene of murine retrovirus Akv was determined by using a molecular clone of the Akv provirus. Deduction of the encoded amino acid sequence showed that a single open reading frame encodes a 638-amino acid precursor to gp70 and p15E. In addition, there is a typical leader sequence preceding the amino terminus of gp70. The locations of potential glycosylation sites and other structural features indicate that the entire gp70 molecule and most of p15E are located on the outer side of the membrane. Internal cleavage of the env precursor to generate gp70 and p15E occurs immediately adjacent to several basic amino acids at the carboxyl terminus of gp70. This cleavage generates a region of 42 uncharged, relatively hydrophobic amino acids at the amino terminus of p15E, which is located in a position analogous to the hydrophobic membrane fusion sequence of influenza virus hemagglutinin. The mature polypeptides are predicted to associate with the membrane via a region of 30 uncharged, mostly hydrophobic amino acids located near the carboxyl terminus of p15E. Distal to this membrane association region is a sequence of 35 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus of the env precursor, which is predicted to be located on the inner side of the membrane. By analogy to Moloney murine leukemia virus, a proteolytic cleavage in this region removes the terminal 19 amino acids, thus generating the carboxyl terminus of p15E. This leaves 15 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus of p15E on the inner side of the membrane in a position to interact with virion cores during budding. The precise location and order of the large RNase T(1)-resistant oligonucleotides in the env region were determined and compared with those from several leukemogenic viruses of AKR origin. This permitted a determination of how the differences in the leukemogenic viruses affect the primary structure of the env gene products.     

Identification of Envelope Determinants of Feline Leukemia Virus Subgroup B That Permit Infection and Gene Transfer to Cells Expressing Human Pit1 or Pit2

The retroviral vector systems that are in common use for gene therapy are designed to infect cells expressing either of two widely expressed phosphate transporter proteins, Pit1 or Pit2. Subgroup B feline leukemia viruses (FeLV-Bs) use the gibbon ape leukemia virus receptor, Pit1, as a receptor for entry. Our previous studies showed that some chimeric envelope proteins encoding portions of FeLV-B could also enter cells by using a related receptor protein, Pit2, which serves as the amphotropic murine leukemia virus receptor (S. Boomer, M. Eiden, C. C. Burns, and J. Overbaugh, J. Virol. 71:8116--8123, 1997). Here we show that an arginine at position 73 within variable region A (VRA) of the FeLV-B envelope surface unit (SU) is necessary for viral entry into cells via the human Pit2 receptor. However, C-terminal SU sequences have a dominant effect in determining human Pit2 entry, even though this portion of the protein is outside known receptor binding domains. This suggests that a combination of specific VRA sequences and C-terminal sequences may influence interactions between FeLV-B SU and the human Pit2 receptor. Binding studies suggest that the C-terminal sequences may affect a postbinding step in viral entry via the Pit2 receptor, although in all cases, binding of FeLV-B SU to human Pit2 was weak. In contrast, neither the arginine 73 nor specific C-terminal sequences are required for efficient binding or infection with Pit1. Taken together, these data suggest that different residues in SU may interact with these two receptors. The specific FeLV-Bs described here, which can enter cells using either human Pit receptor, may be useful as envelope pseudotypes for viruses used in gene therapy.     

Pathogenicity Induced by Feline Leukemia Virus, Rickard Strain, Subgroup A Plasmid DNA (pFRA)

A new provirus clone of feline leukemia virus (FeLV), which we named FeLV-A (Rickard) or FRA, was characterized with respect to viral interference group, host range, complete genome sequence, and in vivo pathogenicity in specific-pathogen-free newborn cats. The in vitro studies indicated the virus to be an ecotropic subgroup A FeLV with 98% nucleotide sequence homology to another FeLV-A clone (F6A/61E), which had also been fully sequenced previously. Since subgroup B polytropic FeLVs (FeLV-B) are known to arise via recombination between ecotropic FeLV-A and endogenous FeLV (enFeLV) env elements, the in vivo studies were conducted by direct intradermal inoculation of the FRA plasmid DNA so as to eliminate the possibility of coinoculation of any FeLV-B which may be present in the inoculum prepared by propagating FeLV-A in feline cell cultures. The following observations were made from the in vivo experiments: (i) subgroup conversion from FeLV-A to FeLV-A and FeLV-B, as determined by the interference assay, appeared to occur in plasma between 10 and 16 weeks postinoculation (p.i.); (ii) FeLV-B-like recombinants (rFeLVs), however, could be detected in DNA isolated from buffy coats and bone marrow by PCR as early as 1 to 2 weeks p.i.; (iii) while a mixture of rFeLV species containing various amounts of N-terminal substitution of the endogenous FeLV-derived env sequences were detected at 8 weeks p.i., rFeLV species harboring relatively greater amounts of such substitution appeared to predominate at later infection time points; (iv) the deduced amino acid sequence of rFeLV clones manifested striking similarity to natural FeLV-B isolates, within the mid-SU region of the env sequenced in this work; and (v) four of the five cats, which were kept for determination of tumor incidence, developed thymic lymphosarcomas within 28 to 55 weeks p.i., with all tumor DNAs harboring both FeLV-A and rFeLV proviruses. These results provide direct evidence for how FeLV-B species evolve in vivo from FeLV-A and present a new experimental approach for efficient induction of thymic tumors in cats, which should be useful for the study of retroviral lymphomagenesis in this outbred species.