| First Author | Wu T | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | J Virol | Volume | 79 |
| Issue | 15 | Pages | 9677-84 |
| PubMed ID | 16014929 | Mgi Jnum | J:100103 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3586947 | Doi | 10.1128/JVI.79.15.9677-9684.2005 |
| Citation | Wu T, et al. (2005) Rmcf2, a xenotropic provirus in the Asian mouse species Mus castaneus, blocks infection by polytropic mouse gammaretroviruses. J Virol 79(15):9677-84 |
| abstractText | Cells from the Asian wild mouse species Mus castaneus are resistant to infection by the polytropic host range group of mouse gammaretroviruses. Two factors are responsible for this resistance: a defective XPR1 cell surface receptor for polytropic murine leukemia viruses (P-MLVs), and a resistance factor detectable only in interspecies hybrids between M. castaneus and mice with an XPR1 variant that permits infection by xenotropic MLVs (X-MLVs) as well as P-MLVs. This second novel virus resistance phenotype has been associated with expression of viral Env glycoprotein; Northern blotting with specific hybridization probes identified a spliced X-MLV env message unique to virus-resistant mice. These observations suggest that resistance is due to expression of one or more endogenous X-MLV envelope genes that interfere with infection by exogenous P-MLVs. M. castaneus contains multiple X-MLV proviruses, but serial backcrosses reduced this proviral content and permitted identification of a single proviral env sequence inherited with resistance. The resistance phenotype and the provirus were mapped to the same site on distal chromosome 18. The provirus was shown to be a full-length provirus highly homologous to previously described X-MLVs. Use of viral pseudotypes confirmed that this resistance gene, termed Rmcf2, prevents entry of P-MLVs. Rmcf2 resembles the virus resistance genes Fv4 and Rmcf in that it produces Env glycoprotein but fails to produce infectious virus; the proviruses associated with all three resistance genes have fatal defects. This type of provirus Env-mediated resistance represents an important defense mechanism in wild mouse populations exposed to endemic infections. |
