Reversal of Fv-1 host range by in vitro restriction endonuclease fragment exchange between molecular clones of N-tropic and B-tropic murine leukemia virus genomes.

We molecularly cloned unintegrated viral DNA of the BALB/c endogenous N-tropic and B-tropic murine leukemia retroviruses and in vitro passaged N-tropic Gross (passage A) murine leukemia retroviruses. Recombinant genomes were constructed in vitro by exchanging homologous restriction enzyme fragments from N- or B-tropic parents and subsequent recloning. Infectious virus was recovered after transfection of these recombinant genomes into NIH-3T3 cells and cocultivation with the Fv-1 nonrestrictive SC-1 cells. XC plaque assays of recombinant virus progeny on Fv-ln and Fv-lb cells indicated that the Fv-l host range was determined by sequences located between the BamHI site in the p30 region of the gag gene (1.6 kilobase pairs from the left end of the map) and the HindIII site located in the pol gene (2.9 kilobase pairs from the left end of the map).     

Effect of the Fv-1 locus on the titration of murine leukemia viruses.

Titration of N- and B-tropic murine leukemia viruses on sensitive and resistant cell lines has been studied by direct XC plaque assay and infective center assay. The titration of cloned B-tropic virus by infective center assay on BALB/3T3 (Fv-1b/b) and NIH/3T3 (Fv-1n/n) cells gave one-hit patterns, with 100-fold less infected NIH/3T3 cells than BALB/3T3 cells. The titration of B-tropic virus on DBA/2 cells (Fv-1n/n) was also a one-hit. The titration of a one-hit curve, and there were about 100-fold less infected BALB/3T3 cells than NIH/3T3 cells. Comparable results were obtained by titrating the cloned N-tropic virus on congenic SIM (Fv-1n/n) and SIM.R (Fv-1b/b) cells or the Gross N-tropic virus on BALB/3T3 cells. Therefore, our data indicate that the multiple-hit phenomenon described previously may not be an essential part of the Fv-1 gene restriction.     

Fv-1 N- and B-tropism-specific sequences in murine leukemia virus and related endogenous proviral genomes

Oligonucleotide probes specific for the Fv-1 N- and B-tropic host range determinants of the gag p30-coding sequence were used to analyze DNA clones of various murine leukemia virus (MuLV) and endogenous MuLV-related proviral genomes and chromosomal DNA from four mouse strains. The group of DNA clones consisted of ecotropic MuLVs of known Fv-1 host range, somatically acquired ecotropic MuLV proviruses, xenotropic MuLV isolates, and endogenous nonecotropic MuLV-related proviral sequences from mouse chromosomal DNA. As expected, the prototype N-tropism determinant is carried by N-tropic viruses of several different origins. All seven endogenous nonecotropic MuLV-related proviral sequence clones derived from RFM/Un mouse chromosomal DNA, although not recognized by the N probe, showed positive hybridization with the prototype B-tropism-specific probe. The two xenotropic MuLV clones derived from infectious virus (one of BALB:virus-2 and one of AKR xenotropic virus) failed to hybridize with the N- and B-tropic oligonucleotide probes tested and with one probe specific for NB-tropic Moloney MuLV. One of two endogenous xenotropic class proviruses derived from HRS/J mouse chromosomal DNA (J. P. Stoye and J. M. Coffin, J. Virol. 61:2659-2669, 1987) also failed to hybridize to the N- and B-tropic probes, whereas the other hybridized to the B-tropic probe. In addition, analysis of mouse chromosomal DNA from four strains indicates that hybridization with the N-tropic probe correlates with the presence or absence of endogenous ecotropic MuLV provirus, whereas the B-tropic probe detects abundant copies of endogenous nonecotropic MuLV-related proviral sequences. These results suggest that the B-tropism determinant in B-tropic ecotropic MuLV may arise from recombination between N-tropic ecotropic MuLV and members of the abundant endogenous nonecotropic MuLV-related classes including a subset of endogenous xenotropic proviruses.     

Fv-1 determinants in xenotropic murine leukemia viruses studied with biological assay systems: Isolation of xenotropic virus with N-tropic Fv-1 activity in the cryptic form.

By a biological assay system using phenotypically mixed ecotropic and xenotropic murine leukemia viruses, we investigated whether in the virions of a xenotropic virus there is N- or B-tropic Fv-1 determinant in active form. The existence of N-tropic Fv-1 determinant was demonstrated in SL-XT-1 xenotropic virus isolated from the spleen of a 3-month-old SL mouse, and the N-tropic Fv-1 tropism was confirmed by analysis of the phenotypically mixed viruses harvested from clonal SC-1 cells doubly infected with the SL-XT-1 and B-tropic ecotropic viruses. However, neither N- nor B-tropic Fv-1 determinant was demonstrated in any xenotropic viruses isolated from embryo cells of BALB/c, NZB, or DBA/2 mice, or Cas E #1-IU, and xenotropic-like virus isolated from a wild mouse.     

Phenotypic mixing between N- and B-tropic murine leukemia viruses: infectious particles with dual sensitivity to Fv-1 restriction.

In effort to understand how N or B tropism is determined in murine leukemia virus (MuLV) particles, we analyzed the MuLV produced after dual infection of mouse cells by N- and B-tropic MuLV. The progeny MuLV from such a mixed infection are sensitive to Fv-1 restriction in both N- and B-type cells, but are still highly infectious for mouse cells which do not exhibit Fv-1 restriction. This dual sensitivity to Fv-1 restriction is a phenotypic property of MuLV produced by mixedly infected cells, since individual virus clones derived from this MuLV are either N- or B-tropic. In further experiments, we superinfected murine sarcoma virus (MSV)-transformed cells with mixtures of N- and B-tropic MuLVs. The rescued MSV is restricted in its ability to transforms both N- and B-type cells. The results suggest that N- and B-tropic MuLVs specify different determinants, which are incorporated into virions along with the viral genome and which are the recognition sites for Fv-1 restriction. The presence of a given determinant in a virion renders the virus sensitive to restriction in cells of the opposite Fv-1 type.     

Retrovirus-induced murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: natural history of infection and differing susceptibility of inbred mouse strains.

C57BL mice (Fv-1b) develop a severe immunodeficiency disease following inoculation as adults with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV), a derivative of Duplan-Laterjet virus which contains B-tropic ecotropic and mink cell focus-inducing MuLVs and a putative defective genome which may be the proximal cause of disease. The stages of development of this disease were defined for C57BL mice on the basis of lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly; histopathological changes consistent with B-cell activation; and alterations in expression of cell surface antigens affected by proliferation of T cells, B cells, and macrophages. By using this disease profile as a standard, the response of adult mice of various inbred strains and selected F1 hybrids was compared. We show that although the strains which are highly sensitive are of the Fv-1b genotype (i.e., permissive for B-tropic MuLVs), certain Fv-1b strains, e.g., BALB/c and A/J, are resistant to murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, whereas certain Fv-1n strains (permissive for N-tropic MuLVs but restrictive for B-tropic MuLVs), notably P/N, BDP, and AKR, show moderate sensitivity and (C57BL/6 x CBA/N)F1 mice (Fv-1n/b and thus dually restrictive) are of relatively high susceptibility. The results of virus recovery tests suggest that apparently anomalous sensitivity, based on predicted Fv-1 restriction, may reflect MuLV induction and/or mutation to provide a helper virus for which the host is permissive.     

The tandem direct repeats within the long terminal repeat of murine leukemia viruses are the primary determinant of their leukemogenic potential.

To map the viral sequences encoding the leukemogenic determinant(s) of nondefective murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs), we constructed chimeric viral genomes in vitro between cloned viral DNAs from the highly leukemogenic Gross passage A (Gross A) MuLV and from the related nonleukemogenic BALB/c N-tropic MuLV. Infectious chimeric MuLVs, recovered from murine cells microinjected with these DNAs, were inoculated into newborn mice to test the leukemogenic potential of these viruses. We found that the U3 long terminal repeat region from Gross A genomes was sufficient to confer an intermediate leukemogenic potential to chimeric MuLVs. Sequencing data indicated that the U3 tandem direct repeat was responsible for this effect. Adding most of the Gross A p15E-coding sequences to the Gross A U3 long terminal repeat enhanced the leukemogenic potential of chimeric viruses significantly. Adding a larger 3'-end env region (all p15E-coding sequences and 345 base pairs of the carboxy terminus of gp70) to the Gross A U3 long terminal repeat restored the full leukemogenic potential of Gross A MuLV. Chimeric viruses harboring only the Gross A 3'-end env region were, however, nonleukemogenic. Similar chimeric MuLVs, constructed with genomes from the parental weakly leukemogenic BALB/c B-tropic MuLVs and nonleukemogenic BALB/c N-tropic MuLVs, were also studied. Our data indicate that the U3 tandem direct repeat sequences appear to be necessary and sufficient to confer some leukemogenic potential to MuLV. However, env 3'-end sequences, mostly the p15E-encoding sequences, are required for the expression of fully leukemic phenotypes.     

Polymorphism of B-tropic leukemia viruses from BALB/c mice: association of a p30 antigen with N- versus B-tropism.

Comparison of a number of murine leukemia virus clones by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed extensive protein polymorphism among B-tropic, but not N-tropic, isolates from BALB/c mice, particularly in migration of p30 proteins. A type-specific radioimmunoassay for p30 was developed which uniformly discriminated all B-tropic viruses from N-tropic viruses of BALB/c origin. N- and B-tropic viruses of C57BL/6 and AKR Fv-1b/b origin could also be distinguished by this assay.     

Fv-1 host restriction of Friend leukemia virus: analysis of unintegrated proviral DNA.

The murine gene Fv-1 predominantly controls the outcome of infection by murine ecotropic retroviruses. The inhibition of virus replication by the Fv-1 gene product has been determined to be at an early stage in virus replication. Mechanistically, its effect appears to be on the accumulation of unintegrated proviral DNA or its integration or both. We investigated the synthesis of unintegrated proviral DNA, using several clones of B-, N-, or NB-tropic Friend murine leukemia virus. Our results indicate that the accumulation of B-tropic proviral DNA in NIH cells may be inhibited at either the level of linear (form III) or covalently closed circular DNA (form I), depending upon the degree of restriction of the clone of virus used. We confirmed that there is an effect of the Fv-1 gene on the accumulation of form I DNA of either B- or N-tropic Friend murine leukemia virus. However, the decrease in infectious centers effected by the Fv-1 gene did not correlate quantitatively with the effect on form I proviral DNA produced by N-tropic Friend murine leukemia virus in nonpermissive cells. Lastly, we demonstrated in nonpermissively infected NIH cells that a rapidly migrating doublet of viral DNA is formed.     

Genetic transmission of endogenous N- and B-tropic murine leukemia viruses in low-leukemic strain C57BL/6.

Spontaneous expression of endogenous N- and B-tropic murine leukemia viruses was stu1bb), DDD (Fuv-1nn), DDD-Fvr (fv-1nn), (DDD or DDD-Fvr times C57BL/6)F1, and 16 partially inbredlines with either the Fv-1nn or Fv-1bb genotype, which had been established from hybrids between C57BL/6 and DDD-Fvr. When tested at middle age, virus-positive mice were found in C57BL/6, F1 hybrids, and 9 out of 16 partially inbred lines. N-tropic viruses were isolated from Fv-1nn, Fv-1bb mice, whereas B-tropic viruses, except for one isolate, were from Fv-1bb mice only. C57BL/6 mice were positive for both N- and B-tropic viruses, whereas DDD-Fvr mice were negative. With respect to the Fv-1 genotype and the presence of endogenous murine leukemia viruses, the partially inbred lines were grouped into five types: (i) Fv-1bb, both N- and B-tropic virus positive, like C57BL/6; (ii) Fv-1nn, virus negative, like DDD-Fvr; (iii) Fv-1bb, virus negative; (iv) Fv-1nn, only N-tropic virus positive; and (v) less convincingly, Fv-1bb, only B-tropic virus positive. These findings indicate that the transmission of N- and B-tropic viruses in C57BL/6 is genetically controlled and that the expression of B-tropic virus, but not of N-tropic virus, is closely associated with the Fv-1 genotype.     

Control of RFM strain endogenous retrovirus in RFM mouse cells

RFM/Un mice express an endogenous type C retrovirus throughout their life span in many tissues; primary or established embryo fibroblast cell cultures do not express a virus but can be induced by exposure to 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine. All of our sources yielded a single ecotropic virus (RFV) which appeared to be related more closely to the endogenous N-tropic virus (WN1802N) of BALB/c mice than to Gross leukemia virus on the basis of two-dimensional gel electropherograms of virion proteins. No xenotropic or recombinant viruses were isolated by cocultivation techniques. RFV is N-tropic, and RFM/Un cells possess the Fv-1n allele, as indicated by restriction of B-tropic virus and susceptibility to Gross strain N-tropic virus. However, RFM cells are highly resistant to RFV and other endogenous N-tropic viruses. This resistance is expressed by two-hit titration kinetics and by inhibition of viral linear duplex DNA formation. This is similar to the effects of the Fv-1 locus, but preliminary work has shown no apparent genetic linkage between the two restrictions. The relative strength of the restriction, the presence of a single class of ecotropic virus, and the absence of recombinant viruses suggest that in RFM mice virus is expressed only in cells in which it is induced and not by cell-to-cell transmission.     

Genetic studies of the Fv-1 locus of mice: linkage with Gpd-1 in recombinant inbred lines.

Multiple recombinant inbred lines, derived from crosses between strains permissive to N-tropic murine leukemia viruses (Fv-1n) and strains permissive to B-tropic murine leukemia viruses (Fv-1b), have been characterized as to Fv-1 genotype and other chromosome 4 markers, including the closely linked hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isozyme locus (Gpd-1). Only one recombinant between Fv-1 and Gpd-1 was found among 45 lines tested. On this basis, the distance between Fv-1 and Gpd-1 is estimated to be 0.6 centimorgans. None of the lines was either resistant or susceptible to both N- and B-tropic viruses. Nineteen other inbred strains, previously untested, were characterized as either Fv-1n or Fv-1b.     

Effect of Fv-1 gene product on synthesis of linear and supercoiled viral DNA in cells infected with murine leukemia virus.

Levels of unintegrated viral DNA made in Fv-1b/b (SIM.R, JLS-V9) and Fv-1n/n (NIH/3T3) cell lines after infection with N- or B-tropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) have been measured. Different forms of viral DNA were sedimented on neutral sucrose or ethidium bromide-cesium chloride density gradients and detected by hybridization with complementary DNA. It was found that the major viral DNA species made in Fv-1 permissive or resistant cells was sedimenting at 20S on neutral sucrose gradient. Levels of this 20S viral DNA species were not significantly different in both systems. However levels of closed circular (form I) viral DNA separated on ethidium bromide-cesium chloride gradients were found to be decreased in Fv-1 resistant cells. Various species of viral DNA were also analyzed by the agarose gel-DNA transfer procedure of Southern. The major viral DNA species was found to migrate as a double-stranded linear DNA of 5.7 x 10(6) daltons. The molecular weight of linear viral DNA molecules extracted from Fv-1 permissive or resistant cells appeared to be the same. Levels of this linear viral DNA were almost identical in both systems except in B-tropic MuLV-infected resistant NIH/3T3 cells in which a moderate decrease has been measured. Two closed circular viral DNA species were observed by this technique. Their levels were markedly decreased in Fv-1 resistant cells. Our results indicate that the Fv-1 restriction does not grossly affect the formation of linear double-stranded viral DNA, but prevents the accumulation of closed circular viral DNA. Therefore the Fv-1 gene product could allow the synthesis of a normal linear viral DNA but interfere with the formation of supercoiled viral DNA. Alternatively, it could promote the synthesis of a faulty linear viral DNA whose defect (yet undetected) would prevent its circularization. In any case, the Fv-1 restriction mechanism appears to occur before the integration event itself.     

Helper-Dependent Properties of Friend Spleen Focus-Forming Virus: Effect of the Fv-1 Gene on the Late Stages in Virus Synthesis

Co-infection of neonatal BALB/c mice with Friend virus (FV) complex (containing defective spleen focus-forming virus [SFFV] and endogenous N-tropic leukemia-inducing helper virus [LLV-F]) and B-tropic Tennant leukemia virus (TenLV) resulted in the inhibition of LLV-F by the Fv-1(b) gene and recovery of a TenLV pseudotype of SFFV, abbreviated SFFV(TenLV). The host range of this pseudotype was B-tropic, since SFFV(TenLV) was 10 to 100 times more infectious for B-type (Fv-1(bb)) than for N-type (Fv-1(nn)) mice. The similar patterns of neutralization of N-tropic and B-tropic SFFV by type-specific murine antisera suggested that the difference in infectivity between these two SFFV preparations did not reside in envelope determinants. Rather, helper control of SFFV's host range was only apparent and dependent upon the ability of associated virus to provide a helper function for late stages in SFFV synthesis. Early stages in SFFV's infectious cycle were shown to be helper independent. The Fv-1 gene did not act at the level of the cell membrane to effectively restrict SFFV infection, since SFFV-induced transformed cells could be detected in the absence of spleen focus formation and SFFV synthesis. Further, the generation of these transformed cells by SFFV followed a one-hit, dose-response pattern, suggesting that SFFV-induced cell transformation is helper independent. Finally, restriction of helper function by Fv-1 may be an intracellular event, because both SFFV and its associated LLV-F helper share common envelope determinants and presumably adsorb onto and penetrate target cells with equal efficiency.     

Important role of the long terminal repeat of the helper Moloney murine leukemia virus in Abelson virus-induced lymphoma.

The helper virus has been shown to play a critical role in the development of lymphoma induced by the defective Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV). Indeed, A-MuLV pseudotyped with some viruses, such as the Moloney MuLV, has been shown to be highly lymphogenic, whereas A-MuLV pseudotyped with other viruses, such as the BALB/c endogenous N-tropic MuLV, has been shown to be devoid of lymphogenic potential (N. Rosenberg and D. Baltimore, J. Exp. Med. 147:1126-1141, 1978; C. D. Scher, J. Exp. Med. 147: 1044-1053, 1978). To map the viral DNA sequences encoding the determinant of the lymphogenic potential of Moloney MuLV when complexed with A-MuLV, we constructed chimeric helper viral DNA genomes in vitro between parental cloned infectious viral DNA genomes from Moloney MuLV and from BALB/c endogenous N-tropic MuLV. Chimeric helper MuLVs, recovered after transfection of NIH 3T3 cells were used to rescue A-MuLV, and the pseudotypes were inoculated into newborn NIH Swiss, CD-1, and SWR/J mice to test their lymphogenic potential. We found that a 0.44-kilobase-pair PstI-KpnI long terminal repeat-containing fragment from the Moloney MuLV was sufficient to confer some, but not complete, lymphogenic potential to a chimeric virus (p7M2) in NIH Swiss and SWR/J mice, but not in CD-1 mice. The addition of the 3'-end env sequences (comprising the carboxy terminus of gp70 and all p15E) to the U3 long terminal repeat sequences restored the full lymphogenic potential of the Moloney MuLV. Our data indicate that the 3'-end sequences of the helper Moloney MuLV are somehow involved in the development of lymphoma induced by A-MuLV. The same sequences have previously been found to harbor the determinant of leukemogenicity and of disease specificity of Moloney MuLV when inoculated alone.     

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

Murine leukemia viruses isolated from radiation-induced BALB/c leukemias were characterized with respect to viral proteins and RNA. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the viral structural proteins revealed that for p12, p15, p30, and gp70, three of four electrophoretic variants of each could be detected. There was no correlation found between any of these mobilities and N- or B-tropism of the viruses. Proteins of all xenotropic viral isolates were identical in their gel electrophoretic profiles. The similar phenotypes of multiple viral clones from individual leukemias and of isolates grown in different cells suggest that the polymorphism of ecotropic viruses was generated in vivo rather than during in vitro virus growth. By two-dimensional fingerprinting of RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides from 70S viral DNA, the previously reported association of N- and B-tropism with two distinct oligonucleotides was confirmed. The presence of two other oligonucleotides was correlated with positive and negative phenotypes of the virus-coded GIX cell surface antigen. The RNAs of two B-tropic isolates with distinctive p15 and p12 phenotypes differed from the RNA of a prototype N-tropic virus by the absence of three oligonucleotides mapping in the 5' portion (gag region) of the prototype RNA. In addition, one small-plaque B-tropic virus displayed extensive changes in the RNA sequences associated with the env region of the prototype.     

Studies with aphidicolin on the Fv-1 host restriction of Friend murine leukemia virus.

The murine gene Fv-1 exerts a major control over the replication of Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV). An effect of the gene product has been determined to be at the level of accumulation and integration of viral DNA. Aphidicolin, an inhibitor of eucaryotic DNA polymerase alpha, was studied in murine cells infected either permissively or nonpermissively with regard to the Fv-1 genotype. Results indicated that inhibition of DNA polymerase alpha did not affect the accumulation of form III viral DNA in either permissive or nonpermissive cells. However, the normal accumulation of circular form I DNA in permissive cells was inhibited. The block in the accumulation of form I DNA resembled that occurring in some F-MuLV Fv-1-nonpermissive infections. Additionally, aphidicolin treatment resulted in the accumulation of novel low-molecular-weight viral DNA species, normally detectable in a nonpermissive infection of NIH cells with B-tropic F-MuLV. These data suggest that the Fv-1 gene product may interact with host DNA polymerase alpha to prevent viral replication.     

Fv-1 host cell restriction of friend leukemia virus: microinjection of unintegrated viral DNA

The murine gene Fv-1 has been shown to exert a major influence over the replication of ecotropic murine leukemia viruses. Studies of the replication of Friend murine leukemia virus have shown that the restriction of viral replication occurs intracellularly after the initiation of viral DNA synthesis. The precise mechanism of the block imposed by the Fv-1 gene product is not completely understood. Our studies of Fv-1 restrictive infection have shown a variable decrease in the accumulation of intracellular unintegrated form I viral DNA. Analysis by microinjection of the viral DNA formed in nonpermissively infected BALB/c cells indicates that this DNA is infectious. These studies indicate that the form I DNA accumulated in nonpermissively infected BALB/c cells contains the complete viral sequences necessary for the production of viral progeny, and therefore, they suggest that the Fv-1 host restrictive mechanism recognizes viral factors other than form I DNA alone. These results support the possibility that Fv-1 host restriction occurs after formation of infectious viral DNA, perhaps at the integration step itself.     

Inherited resistance to N- and B-tropic murine leukemia viruses in vitro: titration patterns in strains SIM and SIM.R congenic at the Fv-1 locus.

We have investigated the titration patterns of murine leukemia viruses on mouse embryo cultures derived from a pair of congenic strains differing at the Fv-1 locus. XC plaque and infectious center assays carried out with N- and B-tropic viruses on both SIM (Fv-1nn) and SIM.R(Fv-1bb) host cells yielded results that were best approximated by Poisson one-hit curves. Titration curves of N-tropic virus by direct XC plaque assay were linear and parallel on the different hosts, with titers 1.8 to 2.7 log10 lower on SIM.R and on (SIM X SIM.R)F1 than on SIM cells; similar linear and parallel curves were found for B-tropic virus, with titers 1.4 to 2.0 log10 lower on SIM and (SIM XSIM-R)F1 than on SIM-R cells. In the infectious center assays, the proportion of infected cells was linearly related to multiplicity of infection on both permissive (N- on SIM and B- on SIM.R) restrictive (B- on SIM and N- on SIM.R) genotypes at multiplicities of infection below 0.5; the line relating the variables was about 1 log10 lower in the restrictive than in the permissive situations. At multiplicities of infection where the proportion of infected cells reached a plateau, differences between the results on permissive and restrictive genotypes were considerably reduced. This appeared to be due to the action of non-Fv-1 factors in permissive host. We conclude that the major action of the restrictive allele at the Fv-1 locus in this system is to reduce the probability of successful murine leukemia virus infection without a change in hitness.