Conversion of mouse mammary tumor virus to a lymphomagenic virus

J Virol. 2005 Oct;79(19):12592-6. doi: 10.1128/JVI.79.19.12592-12596.2005.

Abstract

Type B leukemogenic virus is a variant of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) that causes thymic lymphomas rather than mammary tumors in mice. We demonstrate that conversion of a mammotropic MMTV to a T-cell-tropic virus requires two alterations in the long terminal repeat: (i) acquisition of a T-cell-specific enhancer and (ii) loss of transcriptional repression through deletion of negative regulatory elements (NREs) or by suppression of NRE activity after appropriate positioning of the enhancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic
  • Genes, Regulator*
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell / virology
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / virology
  • Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / genetics*
  • Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / pathogenicity*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Proviruses / genetics
  • Proviruses / pathogenicity
  • Retroviridae Infections / virology
  • T-Lymphocytes / virology
  • Terminal Repeat Sequences*
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transfection
  • Tumor Virus Infections / virology