DNase I sensitivity of endogenous and exogenous proviral genome copies in M-MuLV-induced tumors of Mov-3 Mice

Suppression of transformed phenotype in hybrids of v-fgr and v-raf transformed rat-1 cells with rat embryonic fibroblasts is due to transcriptional inactivation of viral oncogenes

Rat-1 cells that had been transformed to tumorigenicity by transfection with the retroviral oncogenes v-raf from 3611-murine sarcoma virus, or v-fgr from Gardner-Rasheed feline sarcoma virus were fused with rat embryonic fibroblasts at an early passage. In both fusion experiments hybrid cells were isolated that exhibited normal morphology, anchorage requirement for proliferation, and either no tumorigenicity (v-fgr) or extended latency periods for tumor growth (v-raf) in nude mice. Transcription of viral oncogenes is drastically reduced in hybrid cells (at least 30-fold compared to their transformed parental cells), while the half-life of the corresponding transcripts is not effected. In the chromatin of hybrid cells the integrated retroviral oncogenes are as sensitive to degradation with pancreatic DNase I as the endogenous actin gene. Thus the observed down regulation of proviral transcript levels does not correlate with changes in chromatin structure. We conclude that in hybrids of (v-fgr)- and (v-raf)-transformed Rat-1 cells with embryonic fibroblasts, transcription of the retroviral oncogenes appears to be repressed by trans-acting factors of the normal parental cell.

Retrovirus-induced interference with collagen I gene expression in Mov13 fibroblasts is maintained in the absence of DNA methylation

We have studied the role of DNA methylation in repression of the murine alpha 1 type I collagen (COL1A1) gene in Mov13 fibroblasts. In Mov13 mice, a retroviral provirus has inserted into the first intron of the COL1A1 gene and blocks its expression at the level of transcriptional initiation. We found that regulatory sequences in the COL1A1 promoter region that are involved in the tissue-specific regulation of the gene are unmethylated in collagen-expressing wild-type fibroblasts and methylated in Mov13 fibroblasts, confirming and extending earlier observations. To directly assess the role of DNA methylation in the repression of COL1A1 gene transcription, we treated Mov13 fibroblasts with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. This treatment resulted in a demethylation of the COL1A1 regulatory sequences but failed to activate transcription of the COL1A1 gene. Moreover, the 5-azacytidine treatment induced a transcription-competent chromatin structure in the retroviral sequences but not in the COL1A1 promoter. In DNA transfection and microinjection experiments, we found that the provirus interfered with transcriptional activity of the COL1A1 promoter in Mov13 fibroblasts but not in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In contrast, the wild-type COL1A1 promoter was transcriptionally active in Mov13 fibroblasts. These experiments showed that the COL1A1 promoter is potentially transcriptionally active in the presence of proviral sequences and that Mov13 fibroblasts contain the trans-acting factors required for efficient COL1A1 gene expression. Our results indicate that the provirus insertion in Mov13 can inactivate COL1A1 gene expression at several levels. It prevents the developmentally regulated establishment of a transcription-competent methylation pattern and chromatin structure of the COL1A1 domain and, in the absence of DNA methylation, appears to suppress the COL1A1 promoter in a cell-specific manner, presumably by assuming a dominant chromatin structure that may be incompatible with transcriptional activity of flanking cellular sequences.

Retrovirus-induced interference with collagen I gene expression in Mov13 fibroblasts is maintained in the absence of DNA methylation

We have studied the role of DNA methylation in repression of the murine alpha 1 type I collagen (COL1A1) gene in Mov13 fibroblasts. In Mov13 mice, a retroviral provirus has inserted into the first intron of the COL1A1 gene and blocks its expression at the level of transcriptional initiation. We found that regulatory sequences in the COL1A1 promoter region that are involved in the tissue-specific regulation of the gene are unmethylated in collagen-expressing wild-type fibroblasts and methylated in Mov13 fibroblasts, confirming and extending earlier observations. To directly assess the role of DNA methylation in the repression of COL1A1 gene transcription, we treated Mov13 fibroblasts with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. This treatment resulted in a demethylation of the COL1A1 regulatory sequences but failed to activate transcription of the COL1A1 gene. Moreover, the 5-azacytidine treatment induced a transcription-competent chromatin structure in the retroviral sequences but not in the COL1A1 promoter. In DNA transfection and microinjection experiments, we found that the provirus interfered with transcriptional activity of the COL1A1 promoter in Mov13 fibroblasts but not in Xenopus laevis oocytes. In contrast, the wild-type COL1A1 promoter was transcriptionally active in Mov13 fibroblasts. These experiments showed that the COL1A1 promoter is potentially transcriptionally active in the presence of proviral sequences and that Mov13 fibroblasts contain the trans-acting factors required for efficient COL1A1 gene expression. Our results indicate that the provirus insertion in Mov13 can inactivate COL1A1 gene expression at several levels. It prevents the developmentally regulated establishment of a transcription-competent methylation pattern and chromatin structure of the COL1A1 domain and, in the absence of DNA methylation, appears to suppress the COL1A1 promoter in a cell-specific manner, presumably by assuming a dominant chromatin structure that may be incompatible with transcriptional activity of flanking cellular sequences.

Retroviral-mediated gene transfer. Applications in neurobiology

There are now many examples of the successful expression of genes transduced by retroviruses in studies from outside the field of neuroscience. Retroviruses will undoubtedly also prove to be effective tools for neuro-scientists interested in expressing cloned neurotransmitter and receptor genes. There are also other less obvious applications of retroviruses, such as their insertional mutagenic effects, which may be useful in studies of the genetic factors and biochemical mechanisms involved in, for example, neurotoxicity. Strong cellular promoters have been identified by retroviral infection and subsequent rescue of the flanking genomic DNA. Retroviruses can be employed again to reintroduce these regulatory sequences back into cells. In this way the complexities of gene expression in the many subpopulations of neurons may be unraveled. Retroviruses can also serve as very useful genetic markers in studies of development and lineage relationships. Retroviruses may be used to efficiently transfer oncogenes into neuronal cells to create new cell lines. This application exploits one of the natural traits of retroviruses--oncogenesis--which led to their original discovery. Finally, there are neurotropic retroviruses that could serve as important vectors for delivering genes into neurons. Studying these retroviruses may lead to an understanding of how they cause neuropathologic changes in the CNS.

Germ line integration of a murine leukemia provirus into a retroviruslike sequence

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cellular sequences flanking the integrated ecotropic (mouse-infectious) murine leukemia provirus of BALB/c mice indicated that the murine leukemia provirus is integrated in opposing transcriptional orientation within a solo long terminal repeat (LTR) of the VL30 family of endogenous retrovirus-related sequences. To quantify the effect of this integration event on the ability of the ecotropic provirus to be expressed, we constructed recombinant molecules that carried the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) gene and various viral LTRs and determined the CAT activity induced by these constructs after transfection of NIH 3T3 cells. Our results indicate that the BALB/c ecotropic LTR is about 10-fold more active than the VL30 LTR. The presence of the VL30 LTR did not affect the transcriptional activity of the ecotropic LTR in the context of the integration event. Our results also indicate that the LTRs of the BALB/c provirus are less transcriptionally active than are the proviral LTRs of AKR murine leukemia virus and the Harvey murine sarcoma virus.

Retrovirus integration and chromatin structure: Moloney murine leukemia proviral integration sites map near DNase I-hypersensitive sites

The chromatin conformation of mouse genome regions containing Moloney murine leukemia proviral intergration sites in two Mov mouse strains and randomly selected integration sites in virus-infected mouse 3T3 fibroblasts was analyzed. All integrations have occurred into chromosomal regions containing several DNase-hypersensitive sites, and invariably the proviral integration sites map within a few hundred base pairs of a DNase-hypersensitive site. The probability that this close association between proviral integration sites and DNase-hypersensitive sites was due to chance was calculated to be extremely low (2 X 10(-4]. Because the proviral integrations analyzed were not selected for an altered phenotype, our results suggest that DNase-hypersensitive regions are preferred targets for retrovirus integration.

Retrovirus-induced lethal mutation in collagen I gene of mice is associated with an altered chromatin structure

The chromatin structure of the collagen alpha 1(I) gene, which has been mutated by retrovirus insertion in Mov13 mice, was compared with that of the wildtype allele. Limited digestions with DNAase I revealed the presence of two hypersensitive sites in all normal cells analyzed, while a third site at 100 to 200 bp 5' of the transcription start was detected only in cells synthesizing collagen alpha 1(I) mRNA. This transcription-associated site was not present in chromatin of the mutant allele, while the two other hypersensitive sites, one of which is located close to the provirus, were not changed by the virus integration. Our results suggest that the virus insertion in Mov13 mice may prevent the developmentally regulated appearance of a transcription-associated hypersensitive site, thereby interfering with proper activation of the gene during embryonic development.