Fate of viral RNA of murine leukemia virus after infection

Spiroplasma virus 4: nucleotide sequence of the viral DNA, regulatory signals, and proposed genome organization

The replicative form (RF) of spiroplasma virus 4 (SpV4) has been cloned in Escherichia coli, and the cloned RF has been shown to be infectious by transfection (M. C. Pascarel-Devilder, J. Renaudin, and J.-M. Bové, Virology 151:390-393, 1986). The cloned SpV4 RF was randomly subcloned and was fully sequenced by the dideoxy chain termination technique, using the M13 cloning and sequencing system. The nucleotide sequence of the SpV4 genome contains 4,421 nucleotides with a G+C content of 32 mol%. The triplet TGA is not a termination codon but, as in Mycoplasma capricolum (F. Yamao, A. Muto, Y. Kawauchi, M. Iwami, S. Iwagani, Y. Azumi, and S. Osawa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:2306-2309, 1985), probably codes for tryptophan. With these assumptions, nine open reading frames (ORFs) were identified. All nine are characterized by an ATG or GTG initiation codon, one or several termination codons, and a Shine-Dalgarno sequence upstream of the initiation codon. The nine ORFs are distributed in all three reading frames. One of the ORFs (ORF1) corresponds to the 60,000-dalton capsid protein gene. Analysis of codon usage showed that T- and A-terminated codons are preferably used, reflecting the low G+C content (32 mol%) of the SpV4 genome. The viral DNA contains two G+C-rich inverted repeat sequences. One could be involved in transcription termination and the other in initiation of cDNA strand synthesis. The SpV4 genome was found to contain at least three promoterlike sequences quasi-identical to those of eubacteria. These results fully support the bacterial origin of spiroplasmas.

Synthesis of plus strands of retroviral DNA in cells infected with avian sarcoma virus and mouse mammary tumor virus

The vast majority of plus strands synthesized in quail cells acutely infected with avian sarcoma virus were subgenomic in size, generally less than 3 kilobases (kb). A series of discrete species could be identified after agarose gel electrophoresis by annealing with various complementary DNAs, indicating specificity in the initiation and termination of plus strands. The first plus strand to appear (within 2 h postinfection) was similar in length to the long redundancy at the ends of linear DNA (0.35 kb), and it annealed with complementary DNAs specific for the 3' and 5' termini of viral RNA (Varmus et al., J. Mol. Biol. 120:50-82, 1978). Several subgenomic plus-strand fragments (0.94, 1.38, 2.3, and 3.4 kb) annealed with these reagents. At least the 0.94- and 1.38-kb strands were located at the same end of linear DNA as the 0.35-kb strand, indicating that multiple specific sites for initiation were employed to generate strands which overlapped on the structural map. We were unable to detect RNA liked to plus strands isolated as early as 2.5 h postinfection; thus, the primers must be short (fewer than 50 to 100 nucleotides), rapidly removed, or not composed of RNA. To determine whether multiple priming events are a general property of retroviral DNA synthesis in vivo, we also examined plus strands of mouse mammary tumor virus DNA in chronically infected rat cells after induction of RNA and subsequent DNA synthesis with dexamethasone. In this case, multiple, discrete subgenomic DNA plus strands were not found when the same methods applied to avian sarcoma virus DNA were used; instead, the plus strands present in the linear DNA of mouse mammary tumor virus fell mainly into two classes: (i) strands of ca. 1.3 kb which appeared early in synthesis and were similar in size and genetic content to the terminally repeated sequence in linear DNA; and (ii) plus strands of the same length as linear DNA. A heterogeneous population of other strands diminished with time, was not found in completed molecules, and was probably composed of strands undergoing elongation. These two retroviruses thus appear to differ with respect to both the number of priming sites used for the synthesis of plus strands and the abundance of full-length plus strands. On the other hand the major subgenomic plus strand of mouse mammary tumor virus DNA (1.3 kb) is probably the functional homolog of a major subgenomic plus strand of avian sarcoma virus DNA (0.35 kb). The significance of this plus strand species is discussed in the context of current models which hold that it is used as a template for the completion of the minus strand, thereby generating the long terminal redundancy.

Interferon inhibits transformation by murine sarcoma viruses before integration of provirus

Neoplastic transformation by C-type retroviruses requires synthesis of a DNA copy (the provirus) of the RNA genome and its integration into the host cell DNA. We have previously shown that interferon (IFN) can stably prevent transformation of murine fibroblasts by the Kirsten strain of murine sarcoma virus (KiMSV), a murine leukaemia virus (MLV). A series of cell clones (IFN clones), isolated in the presence of IFN (10(4) U ml-1) from cultures of NIH-3T3 cells which had been treated with IFN, and then infected with KiMSV (KiMLV) in conditions where every cell was infected, were shown to be phenotypically untransformed. These untransformed cells did not produce virus or contain rescuable KiMSV. However, cells isolated using an identical procedure, but in the absence of IFN, were uniformly transformed and all produced KiMSV (KiMLV) or contained rescuable KiMSV. It was concluded that IFN either prevents synthesis or integration of the provirus, or else that in the presence of IFN the provirus is integrated such that it is not expressed. We now show that five representative clones contain no detectable KiMSV proviral DNA, and also that the initial stages of infection by KiMSV (KiMLV) are inhibited by IFN treatment. IFN seems to act before integration, preventing either the synthesis or the integration of proviral DNA.

Effect of Fv-1 gene product on proviral DNA formation and integration in cells infected with murine leukemia viruses

The amounts of unintegrated murine leukemia virus-specific DNA detected by molecular hybridization in extracts of Fv-ln/n (strains NIH/3T3, SIM) or Fv-lb/b (strains JLS-V9, SIM.R) mouse cells after infection with N- or B-tropic viruses were found to be the same in both permissive and resistant cells. Therefore, formation of DNA products from the viral RNA template does not appear to be grossly affected by the Fv-l gene product. Integration of virus-specific DNA into chromosomal cellular DNA was assayed by hybridization of radioactive complementary DNA to DNA from infected cells. With either NIH/3T3 or SIM.R cells infected with N- or B-tropic viruses, integration of proviral DNA could be detected in permissive cells but not in nonpermissive cells. The Fv-l gene product therefore appears to prevent integration of proviral DNA.

Thermolabile reverse transcriptase of a mammalian leukemia virus mutant temperature sensitive in its replication and sarcoma virus helper functions

Three temperature-sensitive mutants of the Rauscher strain of murine leukemia virus are defective in early post-penetration functions required both for leukemia virus infection and for initiation of transformation of cells by their pseudotypes of murine sarcoma virus. In the present study, the reverse transcriptase of one of these mutants (ts 29) is shown to be thermolabile compared with the enzymes of the wild-type virus and several other temperature-sensitive mutants. These findings provide evidence that the reverse transcriptase is required both for leukemia virus infection and for initition of transformation by the replication-defective murine sarcoma virus genome.

Requirement for cellular protein synthesis in reversal of ethidium-bormide-induced inhibition of cell transformation by murine sarcoma virus

Cultures of mouse Balb 3T3 fibroblasts exposed to a noncytotoxic dose of ethidium bromide for 16-18 hr are unable to produce foci after infection with murine sarcoma virus. Such cultures regain susceptibility to infection when incubated for 6-8 hr in drug-free growth medium. Pretreated but not untreated cultures exhibit sensitivity toward brief (6 hr) exposure to cycloheximide, chloramphenicol, and actinomycin D before infection. Pretreatment with cordy-cepin inhibits the ability of cultures to produce foci after infection. The recovery of ethidium-bromide-treated cultures requires the synthesis of cellular proteins which may have some important role in the establishment of RNA tumor virus infection.

Kinetics of murine type C virus-specific DNA synthesis newly infected cells

Replicating transforming functions of Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV) and the RLV pseudotype of Moloney sarcoma virus in mouse embryo fibroblasts were found to be most sensitive to inhibition by cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) 30 to 90 min after infection. The initiation of intracellular RLV DNA synthesis was detected by nucleic acid hybridization within this time interval. Treatment of infected cells with cytosine arabinoside abolished RLV DNA synthesis. Peak synthesis of the DNA complementary to the infecting RLV genome, the (-) strand, occurred 40 to 60 min after infection. During this interval two s two species of DNA were observed with estimated molecular weights of 0.5 X 10(5) to 1.0 X 10(5) and 3 X 10(6). Peak synthesis of the (+) strand viral DNA occurred 50 to 70 min after infection. The initial species detected had a molecular weight of 1.5 X 10(5) to 4.0 X 10(5) which shifted as a function of time to 3 X 10(6). Both (+) strand species were initially detected in the cytoplasm followed by a rapid (10-min interval) appearance of the faster-sedimenting species in the nucleus. The virus-specific (-) and (+) strand DNA species are presumably unintegrated intermediates in provirus formation.