Origin of group-specific antigen of chicken leukosis viruses

Effect of selection for high egg production in chickens on shedding of lymphoid leukosis virus and gs antigen into eggs

Lymphoid leukosis virus (LLV) and group specific (gs) viral antigen were detected less frequently in albumen of eggs from two strains of Single Comb White Leghorns that had been selected for high egg production than in corresponding random-bred control strains, which represented the original base population. In a third selected strain, for which no comparable control strain was available, the frequency with which LLV and gs antigen were detected was similar to the other two selected strains. The greatest contrast was between selected Strain 1 and control Strain 5 in which the percentage of eggs with LLV in albumen was 1.4 and 21.4, respectively, and the percentage with gs antigen was 1.2 and 19.9. These differences between control and selected strains of chickens were not related to genetic cellular resistance to virus infection, because inoculation of chorioallantoic membranes with Rous sarcoma virus of subgroups A and B revealed that the proportion of birds resistant to subgroups A and B viruses was not greater in the selected strains than in the control strains.

Outer membrane of avian myeloblastosis virus

Guinea pigs immunized intracerebrally with avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) produced antiserum which reacted with intact virus particles in complement fixation. The antigen in question appeared to be located on the surface of the virion and could be distinguished from the type-specific virus envelope and the group-specific internal antigens of chicken leukosis-sarcoma viruses (ChiLSV). The material could be isolated by sequential treatments of AMV with bromelin, Tween 20, and freeze-thawing, and could be purified by differential centrifugation. Electron microscopy analysis indicated the presence of a component resembling the outer membrane of the particle. The antigenic determinant was designated virus membrane antigen (Vm). Further analyses revealed the presence of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate in a material having a molecular weight of about 6,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Serological studies suggested that the outer membranes of AMV and other ChiLSV are represented mainly by host cellular material.

Antigenic components of group A arbovirus virions

Three group A arboviruses, Sindbis (SIN), western (WEE) and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), were selectively degraded with a nonionic detergent to yield a core particle and a soluble envelope component. Antigenic analysis by using radioimmune precipitation techniques revealed marked antigenic similarity among the core particles of the three viruses. The soluble envelope component exhibited antigenic specificity similar to that of intact virions. A close relationship between SIN and WEE envelopes was shown, whereas EEE envelope antigen appeared antigenically specific. These data indicate that nucleocapsids of group A arboviruses contain an antigenic determinant common to the group; the envelope contains virus-specific antigens as well as antigens which relate members of a subgroup.

In vitro production of mouse mammary tumor virus in a mouse mammary tumor ascites line

An ascites line derived from a spontaneous mouse mammary carcinoma produces, on explantation and cultivation in vitro, large amounts of oncornavirus particles. The biochemical, biophysical, and electron microscopic characteristics of the virions are described. Molecular hybridization and immunological methods identify these virions as mouse mammary tumor virus.

Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of avian ribonucleic acid tumor virus group-specific antigens

Tumors induced in pigeons by inoculation with the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus regressed after about 6 weeks. Sera from these pigeons, taken 8 weeks after inoculation, had complement-fixing group-specific antibody titers of 1:2 to 1:256. In immunoelectrophoresis with the pigeon serum, disrupted BAI strain A (myeloblastosis) avian tumor virus showed at least five precipitin arcs. The pattern of precipitin lines was dependent in part on the means used for virus disruption, and ethyl ether and nonionic detergents appeared to be both effective and relatively mild reagents. Immunoelectrophoretic comparison of pigeon serum with serum from a tumor-bearing hamster and that from virus-inoculated rabbits yielded similar, though not identical, results.

Comparison of Rous sarcoma virus-specific deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases in virions of Rous sarcoma virus and in Rous sarcoma virus-infected chicken cells

Labeled virions of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) were disrupted with detergent and analyzed on equilibrium sucrose density gradients. A core fraction at a density of approximately 1.24 g/cc contained all of the (3)H-uridine label and about 30% of the (3)H-leucine label from the virions. Endogenous viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase activity was only found in the same location. Additional ribonucleic acid (RNA)- and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities were found at the top of the gradients. RNA-dependent and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities were also found in RSV-converted chicken cells. Particles containing these activities were released from cells by detergent and were shown to contain viral RNA. These particles were analyzed on equilibrium sucrose density gradients and were found to have densities different from virion cores.

The N-terminal amino acid sequence of two avian leukosis group specific antigens

Two group-specific antigenic proteins from an avian leukosis virus have been compared by amino acid analysis, tryptic peptide fingerprinting, and N-terminal sequence determination, and found to be dissimilar. There was microheterogeneity in the structure of the protein gs-b at residues 6; threonine and glutamic acid were found.

Isolation of a second avian leukosis group-specific antigen (gs-b) from avian myeloblastosis virus

Gs-b, a second group-specific antigenic protein of the avian leukosis group, has been isolated from Tween 80-ether treated avian myeloblastosis virus by Sephadex and carboxymethylcellulose chromatography, and compared by immunological and chemical means with the antigen (gs-a) described previously.

Virus-specific antigens in hamster cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus

Virus-specific antigens were studied in hamster cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Antigens were localized in the cytoplasm, as demonstrated by fluorescent antibody staining of fixed cells as well as by complement fixation (CF) following subcellular fractionation. Cytoplasmic extracts were analyzed by velocity and isopycnic centrifugation. CF antigens were found in a soluble form and in association with membranes and polyribosomes. Isolated plasma membranes had no CF antigen. Both soluble and particulate fractions with CF activity contained the same antigenic determinants by Ouchterlony analysis. These antigenic determinants were identical to those released by ether treatment of RSV.

Multiple group-specific antigen components of avian tumor viruses detected with chicken and hamster sera

Multiple group-specific (gs) components of the avian leukosis-sarcoma viruses were detected by immunodiffusion (Ouchterlony) tests with sera from hamsters bearing tumors induced by sarcoma viruses and with sera from adult chickens immunized with avian sarcoma or leukosis viruses. Immune hamster sera detected up to four components, whereas chicken sera detected at least one. The hamster and chicken sera identified a similar antigen, as indicated by reactions of identity. Relatively few chicken sera containing neutralizing antibody to avian sarcoma or leukosis viruses reacted in immunodiffusion with the gs antigen. The gs components were released from the virion by various means of disruption, including freezing and thawing. Tests with tissues from normal chickens and from chickens with Marek's disease failed to demonstrate any reactions with hamster or chicken gs antiserum.

Electron microscopy of chick fibroblasts infected by defective rous sarcoma virus and its helper

Nonproducing Rous sarcoma cells of the chicken and their virus-producing as well as uninfected counterparts were studied with an electron microscope. The structural peculiarities of transformed cells included cytoplasmic annulate lamellae, aggregates of membrane-bound, glycogen-like granules, and empty, virus-like shells. Of 69 individual lines of nonproducing Rous sarcoma cells, 64 contained small numbers of viral particles. These particles were morphologically indistinguishable from mature avian tumor virus but lacked demonstrable infectivity. In sessile normal and leukosis virus-infected fibroblasts, microtubules and fibrils occurred in parallel arrays at the periphery of the cytoplasm. This cortical organization was absent from rounded Rous sarcoma cells. The characteristics of microtubular arrangement seemed to reflect differences in the locomotory activity of normal and transformed cells.