Type-C RNA virus isolated from SJL-J mice

Comparative molecular genetic analysis of lymphomas from six inbred mouse strains

Previous studies of 21 highly lymphomatous AKXD recombinant inbred mouse strains demonstrated correlations between lymphoma type, the somatic proviral DNA content of the lymphoma, and the frequency of virally induced rearrangements in eight common sites of viral integration (Myc, Pim-i, Pvt-1, Mlvi-1, Mlvi-2, Fis-1, Myb, and Evi-1). In this study we analyzed lymphomas from six inbred mouse strains, AKR/J, C58/J, HRS/J (hr/hr and hr/+), SJL/J, SEA/GnJ, and CWD/LeAgl, to determine whether these correlations are also evident in these strains. Mice of the AKR/J, C58/J, and HRS/J strains died exclusively of T-cell lymphomas. In contrast to earlier studies which showed a great disparity in the rate and incidence of lymphomas in HRS/J hr/hr and HRS/J hr/+ mice, we found a high incidence of T-cell lymphomas and the same mean age of onset of disease in both strains. SJL/J mice died primarily of pre-B-cell lymphomas, whereas CWD/LeAgl and SEA/GnJ mice died primarily of B-cell lymphomas. Somatically acquired mink cell focus-forming proviruses were detected only in T-cell lymphomas, whereas ecotropic proviruses were found in lymphomas from all hematopoietic cell lineages. No rearrangements were detected in the Fis-1, Mlvi-2, and Myb loci, whereas rearrangements were detected in the Mlvi-1, Myc, Pim-1, Pvt-1, and Evi-1 loci. Most rearrangements were found in T-cell lymphomas, and many were virally induced. These results are similar to those we obtained previously for lymphomas of 21 highly lymphomatous AKXD recombinant inbred mouse strains.

Genetic and epigenetic factors that influence the occurrence of spontaneous lymphoid tumors in crosses of mice of high- and low-incidence strains

AKR mice, which spontaneously develop greater than 90% incidence of lymphocytic leukemia (LL), crossed with SJL mice, which show greater than 80% incidence of Hodgkin's-like reticulum-cell sarcoma (RCS), produced F1 progeny showing incidences of 30% LL and 0% RCS. Thus, each strain possesses one or more dominant genes capable of interfering with the emergence of the tumor type typical of the other strain. Although mice of reciprocal F1 crosses showed a profound difference in expression of endogenous ecotropic murine leukemia virus (E-MuLV) due to a maternal resistance factor transmitted by SJL females but not males, the two populations did not differ detectably in LL incidence. Like AKR mice, mice of 5 other strains studied (C58, DBA/2, PL, RF and ST/b) possessed one or more genes conferring resistance to RCS in F1 crosses with SJL. Analysis of LL incidences in F1 generations of all possible crosses among these 7 strains revealed 4 different categories of strains with respect to susceptibility/resistance to LL; only ST/b mice, which show no significant incidence of spontaneous LL, lacked genes that could suppress the disease in crosses with high- or moderate-incidence strains. SJL mice treated topically with 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA) developed a 50% incidence of LL, mostly before one year of age; treated mice surviving after one year of age developed a high incidence of RCS.

Suppression of endogenous murine leukemia virus by maternal resistance factor

Females of the RF and SJL inbred mouse strains transmit to their progeny of both sexes a nonmendelian maternal resistance factor (MRF) able to suppress the expression of endogenous ecotropic murine leukemia virus (E-MuLV). This MRF is demonstrable in crosses with AKR mice by comparing E-MuLV expression in the spleens and thymuses of reciprocal F1 generations. DBA/2 and ST/b mice are MRF negative by these criteria. Neonatal inoculation of E-MuLV-containing spleen extracts gives rise to persistent expression of infectious virus in mice of the MRF- but not the MRF+ strains. However, inoculation of the virus in 30-d-old females of the MRF- strains no longer leads to a state of persistent infection; instead, these females become MRF+ and transmit protection against E-MuLV expression to their progeny by AKR and RF males. The MRF appears to be transmitted to the progeny mainly through the milk, since foster-nursing AKR neonates on RF (but not DBA/2) mothers greatly reduces E-MuLV expression in the progeny. These RF-fostered AKR mice also show a reduced and delayed lymphoma incidence, a finding consistent with the idea that maternally transmitted resistance to E-MuLV expression is the basis for the classic maternal resistance to lymphomagenesis seen in the progeny of RF mothers.

possible role of a retrovirus in the expression of tumor-specific antigens of the Meth A sarcoma

The serologically defined tumor-specific surface antigen (TSSA) of the chemically-induced BALB/c Meth A sarcoma, highly restricted to one of 20 sarcomas of BALB/c origin, has been detected on a Moloney murine sarcoma virus (Mo-MuSV)-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cell lines, designated IIA(v). The immunogenicity of the IIA(v) cell in tumor-rejection assays was specific for the Meth A sarcoma, supporting the evidence for a close relationship between the TSSA and the tumor-associated transplantation antigen (TATA) of this tumor. Infection of SC-I cells with retroviruses present in cultured filtrates of IIA(v) cells resulted in Meth A antigen expression. The retroviruses associated with Meth A antigen expression have been tentatively identified as replication and/or transformation-defective XC- MuLV. The possible roles of Mo-MuSV and cellular genes of the BALB/c strain of mice in the expression of the Meth A antigen are discussed.

Natural killer cell activity associated with reticulum cell neoplasms

A marked increase in natural killer (NK) activity is observed with lymphoid cells prepared from SJL/J mouse spleen and lymph nodes, in which a transplantable reticulum-cell neoplasm (RCN) is growing. The killer cells are non-adherent, non-phagocytic, relatively resistant to X-ray, and scarcely or only partially inactivated by treatment with anti-Thy 1.2 serum and complement. The killer activity is directed against a wide variety of tumor target cells, not requiring homology in histocompatibility, but is selective and not indiscriminate. Kinetics of in vivo development on NK activity, competitive inhibition of in vitro cytotoxicity by target cells and their membrane extracts are described. The NK activity appears to increase in parallel with the infiltration and growth of RCN in these organs. No such augmented NK activity was observed with other types of tumors that grew in these organs of SJL/J mice. (C57BL/6 X SJL/J)F1 mice pretreated with silica to abrogate Hh restriction and subsequently injected with RCN of SJL/J (H-2s) origin supported the growth of transplanted RCN. The high NK activity associated with this RCN was markedly reduced by in vitro treatment with anti-H2b serum plus complement, indicating the host origin of NK cells. However, the close association of RCN growth with elevated NK activity may indicate a special function of RCN in promoting NK activity by an unknown mechanism(s) of cellular interactions.

Growth of SJL/J-derived transplantable reticulum cell sarcoma as related to its ability to induce T-cell proliferation in the host. I. Dominant negative genetic influences of other parent haplotype in F1 hybrids of SJL/J mice

Growth of three transplantable reticulum cell sarcomas (RCS) was studied in a variety of F1 hybrids of SJL/J mice by determination of lymph node (LN) and spleen: body weights ratios 7 and 14 d after intravenous injection of RCS cells. Comparison of BIO.S x SJL and A.SW x SJL with SJL/J showed a negative effect of both the A and the BIO non-H-2 genes, particularly on growth in LN. F1 hybrid resistance was noted with F1 hybrids that carried H-2Dd and was much more evident with F1 hybrids from BIO- than from A-background mice. This resistance was less marked at 14 than at 7 d and was partially overcome by injection of higher tumor doses. Changing the I region in the F1 parent from H-2d to H-2b or H-2f had no effect on growth, but changing to H-2k or H-2d virtually abolished the ability to support tumor growth. This effect appeared partially as a result of the I-E/C and partially of the I-A(B) region and was not overcome by higher tumor dose or longer intervals after injection. There also appeared to be a negative influence on growth of H-2Kk, but this was difficult to differentiate from the I-Ak effect with the available strains. The known proliferative responsiveness that SJL/J Lyt-1 T cells exhibit to Ia determinants on gamma-irradiated RCS cells in vitro was also compared with that of cells from various F1 hybrids. Responsiveness of F1 LN cells was expressed as a percentage of the response in SJL/J LN cells to the same RCS cells, measured as [3H]thymidine incorporation. There was a striking degree of correlation between proliferative responsiveness of F1 LN cells to RCS and the ability of the F1 mice to support tumor growth. This correlation was especially clear with respect to the negative influences of non-H-2 genes, and of H-2 loci in the I region, particularly of I-Ak or -d and of I-E/Ck or -d, but there also appeared to be a (smaller) negative effect of I-Ab or -f. Negative influence of H-2Dd on growth, however, was not reflected in a similarly large effect on the proliferative response. Additional findings showed that LN cells from all F1 hybrids exhibited equivalent syngeneic mixed lymphocyte responses in the presence of polyethylene glycol to mitomycin-treated spleen cells from both the SJL/J and the other parent. The extra high response of F1 cells to RCS cells, as compared with SJL spleen cells, however, was always absent when Ik or -d was contributed by one of the F1 parents. The results suggest a promoting effect of the proliferative response on RCS growth in vivo and, furthermore, an interesting effect of I-A and I-E/C genes, possibly via an interaction product, on the ability of LN cells to be stimulated by Ia determinants on RCS cells.

Distinction between tumor-specific transplantation antigen and virion antigens in solubilized products from membranes of virus-induced leukemic cells

A membrane antigen from RBL-5 leukemic cells that was solubilized and partially purified is further characterized in this study. This soluble antigen is capable of immunizating syngeneic hosts to reject neoplastic cells and thus resembles TSTA. It also induces cytotoxic antibody in syngeneic hosts capable of specifically lysing RBL-5 cells in vitro. RBL-5, however, releases infectious virus (RLV); it was necessary therefore to rule out virus or structural virion antigens as the effective immunogen. Infectious virus was not detectable in our initial crude membrane (CM) material, nor in the papain-solubilized CS or the G-150 Sephadex-chromatographed fraction. Virus-neutralizing antibody was not detected, under stringent assay conditions, in the syngeneic anti-CM sera. Antigen preparations CM, CS and the chromatographeal fractions F1, F2 and F3 were assayed in a complement-fixation test against brood-reacting antisera capable of detecting virus envelope antigen and gs antigen and against syngeneic antisera. Although our antigen preparations were positive for virion antigens, CS and F2 contained an antigen that reacted only with syngeneic antiserum. These same fractions were those reactive as immunogens. On the basis of these data, it is postulated that a cellular membrane component, other than viral, functions as TSTA.

Properties of reticulum-cell sarcomas in SJL/J mice. I. Proliferative response to tumor cells of T-derived lymphoid cells from normal mice

Cells from reticulum-cell sarcomas (RCS), tumors with a probable B-cell origin in the SJL/J mouse strain, induced a high degree of proliferation in O-bearing syngeneic lymph-node and thymus cells obtained from young non-tumours mice. Although of considerably lower magnitude, a proliferation of SJL/J thymus cells to syngeneic normal lymph-node cells was also noted. Sera from normal syngeneic mice did not block either of these proliferative responses. Stimulation by RCS cells also occurred with normal lymph-node cells from F1 hybrids, SJL/J times C57Bl/6, and SJL/J times ASW and from the H-2s identical ASW mouse strain. It is suggested that these results are due either to the presence of viral antigens on the surface of RCS cells or to an exaggerated form of the normal syngeneic response of T to B lymphocytes. Another tumor of B-cell origin, the PU5 tumor of BALB/c mice, failed to induce proliferation in normal syngeneic lymph-node or thymus cells.