Heterogeneity of koala retrovirus isolates

FEBS Lett. 2014 Jan 3;588(1):41-6. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.10.046. Epub 2013 Nov 12.

Abstract

Koala retrovirus (KoRV) is a gammaretrovirus which may induce immune suppression, leukemia and lymphoma in koalas. Currently three KoRV subgroups (A, B, and J) have been reported. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that KoRV-B and KoRV-J should be classified as the same subgroup. In long terminal repeat (LTR), a KoRV-B isolate has four 17 bp tandem repeats named direct repeat (DR)-1, while a KoRV-J isolate (strain OJ-4) has three 37 bp tandem repeats named DR-2. We also found that the promoter activity of the KoRV-J strain OJ-4 is stronger than that of original KoRV-A, suggesting that KoRV-J may replicate more efficiently than KoRV-A.

Keywords: Gammaretrovirus; Koala; Leukemia; Promoter activity; Subgroup.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gammaretrovirus / classification
  • Gammaretrovirus / genetics*
  • Gammaretrovirus / isolation & purification
  • Gene Products, env / classification
  • Gene Products, env / genetics*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • K562 Cells
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phascolarctidae / virology*
  • Phylogeny
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Terminal Repeat Sequences / genetics*
  • U937 Cells

Substances

  • Gene Products, env
  • Luciferases