Protein-coding potential of mouse mammary tumor virus genome RNA as examined by in vitro translation

Mouse Mammary Tumor Biology: A Short History

For over a century, mouse mammary tumor biology and the associated Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) have served as the foundation for experimental cancer research, in general, and, in particular, experimental breast cancer research. Spontaneous mouse mammary tumors were the basis for studies of the natural history of neoplasia, oncogenic viruses, host responses, endocrinology, and neoplastic progression. However, lacking formal proof of a human mammary tumor virus, the preeminence of the mouse model faded in the 1980s. Since the late 1980s, genetically engineered mice (GEM) have proven extremely useful for studying breast cancer and have become the animal model for human breast cancer. Hundreds of mouse models of human breast cancer have been developed since the first demonstration, in 1984, that the mouse mammary gland could be molecularly targeted and used to test the oncogenicity of candidate human genes. Now, very few scientists can avoid using a mouse model to test the biology of their favorite gene. The GEM have attracted a new generation of molecular and cellular biologists eager to apply their skills to these surrogates of the human disease. Newcomers often enter the field without an appreciation of the origins of mouse mammary tumor biology and the basis for many of the prevailing concepts. Our purpose in writing this short history of mouse mammary tumor biology is to provide a historical perspective for the benefit of the newcomers. If Einstein was correct in that "we stand on the shoulders of giants," the neophytes should meet their giants.

Mouse mammary tumor viruses expressed by RIII/Sa mice with a high incidence of mammary tumors interact with the Vβ-2- and Vβ-8-specific T cells during viral infection

The mouse mammary tumor viruses (MMTVs) that induce mammary adenocarcinomas in mice are transmitted from mother to offspring through milk. MMTV infection results in the deletion of specific T cells as a consequence of interaction between the MMTV-encoded superantigen (Sag) and specific V beta chains of the T cell receptor. The specificity and kinetics of T cell deletion for a number of highly oncogenic MMTVs, such as C3H- and GR-MMTVs, have been studied in great detail. Some work has also been done with the MMTVs expressed in two substrains of RIII mice, BR6 and RIIIS/J, but the nature of the interaction between T cells and the virus(es) that the parental RIII-strain of mice express has not been investigated. Since RIII mice (designated henceforth as RIII/Sa) have a very high incidence (90-98%) of mammary tumors, and they have been extensively used in studies of the biology of mammary tumor development, we have presently determined the pattern of V beta-T cell deletion caused by RIII/Sa-MMTV-Sag(s) during viral infection. T cells were isolated from lymph nodes and thymus of young RIII/Sa mice, as well as from BALB/c (BALB/cfRIII/Sa), C57BL (C57BLfRIII/Sa), and RIIIS/J (RIIIS/JfRIII/Sa) mice after they were infected with RIII/Sa-MMTV(s) by foster nursing. The composition of the T cells was analyzed by FACS using a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific to a variety of V betas. Our results show that milk-borne RIII/Sa-MMTV(s) infection leads to the deletion of CD4(+) V beta-2, and to a lesser extent V beta-8 bearing peripheral and central T cells in RIII/Sa, RIIIS/J, BALB/c, and C57BL mice. Our results are in contrast to the findings that C3H-, GR-, and BR6-MMTVs delete V beta-14- and/or V beta-15-specific T cells.

Reverse transcriptase-dependent and -independent phases of infection with mouse mammary tumor virus: implications for superantigen function

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) encodes a superantigen (SAg) that promotes stable infection and virus transmission. Upon subcutaneous MMTV injection, infected B cells present SAg to SAg-reactive T cells leading to a strong local immune response in the draining lymph node (LN) that peaks after 6 d. We have used the reverse transcriptase inhibitor 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) to dissect in more detail the mechanism of SAg-dependent enhancement of MMTV infection in this system. Our data show that no detectable B or T cell response to SAg occurs in AZT pretreated mice. However, if AZT treatment is delayed 1-2 d after MMTV injection, a normal SAg-dependent local immune response is observed on day 6. Quantitation of viral DNA in draining LN of these infected mice indicates that a 4,000-fold increase in the absolute numbers of infected cells occurs between days 2 and 6 despite the presence of AZT. Furthermore MMTV DNA was found preferentially in surface IgG+ B cells of infected mice and was not detectable in SAg-reactive T cells. Collectively our data suggest that MMTV infection occurs preferentially in B cells without SAg involvement and is completed 1-2 d after virus challenge. Subsequent amplification of MMTV infection between days 2 and 6 requires SAg expression and occurs in the absence of any further requirement for reverse transcription. We therefore conclude that clonal expansion of infected B cells via cognate interaction with SAg-reactive T cells is the predominant mechanism for increasing the level of MMTV infection. Since infected B cells display a memory (surface IgG+) phenotype, both clonal expansion and possibly longevity of the virus carrier cells may contribute to stable MMTV infection.

The 3' half of the mouse mammary tumor virus orf gene is not sufficient for its superantigen function in transgenic mice

The Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat contains an open reading frame (orf) of 960 nucleotides encoding a 36 kDa polypeptide with a putative transmembrane domain and five N-glycosylation sites in the N-terminal part of the protein. Transgenic mice bearing either the complete or the 3' terminal half of the orf sequence of MMTV-GR under the control of the SV40 promoter were raised. As shown previously by FACS analysis transgenic mice which express the complete orf gene have a significant deletion of V beta 14 expressing T cells at 6 weeks of age. Here we show that no clonal deletion of V beta 14 bearing T cells takes place in transgenic mice that contain orf sequences from the fifth ATG to the termination codon. The pattern of tissues expressing the truncated transgene was studied by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and was very similar to the one obtained in the V beta 14 deleting animals. These data suggest that the amino-terminal portion of the ORF protein (pORF) is required for a superantigen function, while our previous data indicated that determinants from the carboxy-terminus play an important role for TCR V beta specificity.

Superantigen-induced immune stimulation amplifies mouse mammary tumor virus infection and allows virus transmission

Endogenous and infectious mouse mammary tumor viruses (MMTVs) encode in their 3' long terminal repeat a protein that exerts superantigen activity; that is, it is able to interact with T cells via the variable domain of the T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain. We show here that transmission of an infectious MMTV is prevented when superantigen-reactive cells are absent through either clonal deletion due to the expression of an endogenous MTV with identical superantigen specificity or exclusion due to expression of a transgenic TCR beta chain that does not interact with the viral superantigen. A strict requirement for superantigen-reactive T cells is also seen for a local immune response following MMTV infection. This immune response locally amplifies the number of MMTV-infected B cells, most likely owing to their clonal expansion. Collectively, our data indicate that a superantigen-induced immune response is critical for the MMTV life cycle.

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies monospecific to MMTV LTR orf protein produced in E. coli

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies specific to an open reading frame of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat were generated using an open reading frame-beta-galactosidase fusion protein produced in E. coli. Both antibodies reacted with the open reading frame-beta-galactosidase fusion protein but not with beta-galactosidase alone using an immunoblotting technique. It is concluded that these antibodies were specific for the protein encoded by the open reading frame of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat.

Biochemical analysis of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat product. Evidence for the molecular structure of an endogenous superantigen

Recent reports have shown that both exogenous and endogenous mouse mammary tumor viruses (MMTV) can encode superantigens. Transfection and transgenic studies have identified the open reading frame (ORF) present in the 3' long terminal repeat (LTR) as encoding superantigen function. In this study, we have used an in vitro translation system in an attempt to characterize the molecular nature of the protein encoded by the 3' ORF of Mtv-8. Using various constructs encoding full-length and truncated versions of the ORF product, we report that the hydrophobic region close to the amino terminus of the 36-kDa protein can function as a transmembrane domain. Protease digestion experiments also demonstrate that the protein has a type-II transmembrane conformation with an extra-cytoplasmic carboxy terminus. Since this hydrophobic region is conserved between all known MMTV, we speculate that LTR ORF, including those proposed to encode the minor lymphocyte stimulatory antigens, are also capable of encoding type-II transmembrane glycoproteins. The polymorphism between MMTV LTR ORF products, which correlates with deletion phenotypes, is predominantly in the carboxy-terminal extracellular region, consistent with a major role in interaction with the T cell receptor.

Expression of the mouse mammary tumor virus ORF gene in cultured cells

We have recently shown that expression vectors harboring the open reading frame of the long terminal repeat region of mouse mammary tumor virus direct the synthesis of a product which acts as a superantigen in transgenic mice. The detection of the ORF protein has been hampered by the extremely low levels of expression observed in these mice, as estimated from the low levels of specific mRNA. To study the properties of the ORF protein, we attempted its expression in different cell types in culture. The experiments performed in yeast show that the ORF gene product is a glycoprotein of approximately 45 kDA. As expected from the derived primary sequence, the unglycosylated product made in the presence of tunicamycin has a molecular weight of 36 kDA. No secretion of the glycosylated protein was observed. Curiously, the full-length molecule was made in lower amounts than a truncated version which contains only the C-terminal half of the protein. Transfection experiments in different mammalian cells suggest that high expression of the ORF protein might have an adverse effect on survival of cells in culture.

Detection and characterization of a glycoprotein encoded by the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat gene

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is a retrovirus that causes mammary tumors in susceptible mice. MMTV contains a unique open reading frame (ORF) in the unique 3' region of the proviral long terminal repeat (LTR) with the potential to encode a 36-kDa protein. However, the ORF gene product has not been detected in murine mammary tissues or cell lines. We utilized the baculovirus expression vector system to generate large amounts of the ORF protein. Putative ORF gene products of 36 and 45 kDa were detected as unique proteins in extracts of insect cells infected with recombinant baculovirus (LTR-ORF BV), and the identities of these proteins as viral gene products were confirmed immunologically. Antipeptide antisera were generated in rabbits against peptides chosen from computer-predicted hydrophilic regions of the ORF coding sequence. These antisera reacted specifically by immunoprecipitation and by immunoblot with the proteins expressed in LTR-ORF BV-infected insect cells, as well as with MMTV LTR ORF in vitro translation products. Polyclonal antisera were raised against two putative ORF protein species partially purified from insect cells. These sera specifically immunoprecipitated viral protein products translated in vitro. In vitro translation of MMTV LTR ORF transcripts in the presence of canine pancreatic microsomal membranes generated a higher-molecular-weight ORF gene product, indicating that the ORF protein is modified by N-linked glycosylation. This glycosylated ORF product comigrated with the larger ORF protein species produced in infected insect cells. The gp45 product was metabolically labeled with [3H] mannose, [3H] galactose, and [3H] N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in insect cells, whereas this incorporation was inhibited in the presence of tunicamycin. Digestion of gp45 with endoglycosidase H yielded the lower-molecular-weight ORF protein p36. These observations suggest that the ORF glycoprotein contains hybrid N-linked oligosaccharides. Demonstration of the modified nature of the ORF gene product will facilitate characterization of ORF protein expression in murine tissues.

naf, a trans-regulating negative-acting factor encoded within the mouse mammary tumor virus open reading frame region

The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat (LTR) open reading frame (ORF) encodes a negative acting factor (naf). In our test system, naf mediates its effect in trans on another MMTV provirus in which the 5' LTR has been replaced by that of Rous sarcoma virus. naf effects are evidenced at the level of transcriptional initiation rather than as reduced mRNA stability. The introduction of a premature termination codon into the MMTV LTR-encoded ORF abolishes the transcriptional down regulation localizing naf within the ORF. In addition, sequences in the gag/pol genes between +320 and +646 and between +3626 and +4590 relative to the site of transcription initiation are also involved in the MMTV-mediated transcriptional down regulation.

Transactivating potential of the 3' open reading frame of murine mammary tumor virus

The procaryotic chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene controlled by the murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter shows reduced activity in a rat mammary tumor cell line after infection with MMTV but to a considerably lesser extent than the CAT gene controlled by a heterologous promoter, indicating trans-acting regulation of promoter activity by MMTV. Cotransfection of vectors capable of expressing RNA from the 3' open reading frame (orf) of MMTV with the CAT-MMTV construct resulted in enhanced CAT activity, suggesting that orf carries a transactivating potential. Since transactivation was also found with a vector containing only orf and part of the viral env gene, it was concluded that a separate transcriptional unit exists for the orf message.

Two efficient ribosomal frameshifting events are required for synthesis of mouse mammary tumor virus gag-related polyproteins

The primary translation products of retroviral pol genes are polyproteins initiated in an upstream gene (gag). To investigate the manner in which the gag-initiated polyproteins of the mouse mammary tumor virus are produced, we determined the nucleotide sequence of a 1.8-kilobase DNA fragment that spans the region between gag and pol in the C3H strain of mouse mammary tumor virus. The sequence reveals three overlapping open reading frames: the first encodes products of gag (p27gag and p14gag); the second encodes a protein domain of unknown function (termed X) that is highly related to a similarly positioned sequence in simian type D retroviruses and the viral protease (pro); and the third encodes the reverse transcriptase. The reading frames are organized to permit uninterrupted readthrough from gag to pol if ribosomal frameshifts occur in the -1 direction within each of the two overlapping regions, one of which is 16 nucleotides in length and the other 13 nucleotides. Cell-free translation of RNA containing these overlap regions shows that fusion of the reading frames by ribosomal frameshifting occurs efficiently: about one-fourth of the ribosomes traversing the gag-X/pro overlap and one-tenth traversing the X/pro-pol overlap shift frames, generating gag-related polyproteins in ratios similar to those observed in vivo. Synthetic oligonucleotides containing either of the overlap regions inserted into novel contexts do not induce frameshifting; hence the overlapping portions of the reading frames are not sufficient to induce a frameshift event, and a larger sequence context or secondary structure may be implicated.

Complete nucleotide sequence of a milk-transmitted mouse mammary tumor virus: two frameshift suppression events are required for translation of gag and pol

We sequenced two recombinant DNA clones constituting a single provirus of the milk-transmitted mouse mammary tumor virus characteristic of BR6 mice. The complete provirus is 9,901 base pairs long, flanked by 6 base-pair duplications of cellular DNA at the site of integration. Five extensive blocks of open reading frame corresponding to the gag gene, the presumed protease, the pol and env genes, and the open reading frame orf within the long terminal repeat of the provirus were readily discernible. Translation of gag, protease, and pol involved three different translational reading frames to produce the three overlapping polyprotein precursors Pr77, Pr110, and Pr160 found in virus-infected cells. Synthesis of the reverse transcriptase and endonuclease therefore required two separate frameshifts to suppress the termination codons at the ends of the Pr77 and Pr110 domains. Direct evidence is presented for translational readthrough of both stop codons in an in vitro protein synthesis system.

Spleen specific expression of an MMTV related transcript associated with the Mtv-6 locus in BALB/c mice

We have detected an MMTV related transcript which is expressed in a spleen specific manner in BALB/cHeA mice. Using a recombinant inbred series between BALB/cHeA and STS/A mice (C X S RI series) we have identified RNA associated with the Mtv-3 locus of the STS/A strain. This transcript initiates at the same site in the MMTV LTR as already reported for Mtv-2 and Mtv-8. The novel spleen specific MMTV transcript in the BALB/cHeA strain has a different structure as compared to the transcripts associated with the Mtv-2, Mtv-3, or Mtv-8 loci. We have tentatively identified the Mtv-6 locus as the source of these unique transcripts.

Expression of the protein product of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat gene in phorbol ester-treated mouse T-cell-leukemia cells

Exposure of C57BL/6 mouse EL-4 T-cell leukemia cells to phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) (TPA) induced the synthesis of protein products encoded by the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat (LTR) region. Analysis of TPA-treated EL-4 cells with antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide predicted by the MMTV LTR open reading frame sequence detected a polypeptide migrating in gels with an apparent molecular weight of 37,000 Mr, as well as three less prominent proteins with apparent molecular weights of 31,000, 34,000, and 39,000. Tryptic peptide analysis established the identity of the immunoprecipitated cellular proteins with the LTR proteins obtained from in vitro translation of MMTV genomic RNA. All four proteins were glycosylated and were derived from one initial nonglycosylated translation product of 21,000 Mr. The 21,000-Mr apoprotein could be detected after digestion with endoglycosidase F or pretreatment of cells with tunicamycin. Untreated EL-4 cells synthesized three species of MMTV mRNA: 35S, 24S, and 20S. TPA treatment resulted in an increased level of transcription of the three mRNAs and the appearance of a new 1-kilobase mRNA. At least 10 acquired MMTV proviruses are present in the EL-4 genome, and examination of the degree of proviral methylation revealed extensive demethylation. However, no qualitative differences in the state of proviral methylation were apparent between TPA-treated and untreated cells.

Murine mammary tumor virus pol-related sequences in human DNA: characterization and sequence comparison with the complete murine mammary tumor virus pol gene

Sequences in the human genome with homology to the murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) pol gene were isolated from a human phage library. Ten clones with extensive pol homology were shown to define five separate loci. These loci share common sequences immediately adjacent to the pol-like segments and, in addition, contain a related repeat element which bounds this region. This organization is suggestive of a proviral structure. We estimate that the human genome contains 30 to 40 copies of these pol-related sequences. The pol region of one of the cloned segments (HM16) and the complete MMTV pol gene were sequenced and compared. The nucleotide homology between these pol sequences is 52% and is concentrated in the terminal regions. The MMTV pol gene contains a single long open reading frame encoding 899 amino acids and is demarcated from the partially overlapping putative gag gene by termination codons and a shift in translational reading frame. The pol sequence of HM16 is multiply terminated but does contain open reading frames which encode 370, 105, and 112 amino acid residues in separate reading frames. We deduced a composite pol protein sequence for HM16 by aligning it to the MMTV pol gene and then compared these sequences with other retroviral pol protein sequences. Conserved sequences occur in both the amino and carboxyl regions which lie within the polymerase and endonuclease domains of pol, respectively.

Retroviral insertional mutagenesis in murine mammary cancer

We are attempting to identify cellular oncogenes activated in mammary tumours by using the mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) as an insertional mutagen. MMTV, a retrovirus lacking a host cell-derived viral oncogene, induces adenocarcinomas of the mammary gland after a long latency period. The tumours are clonal outgrowths of cells carrying one or more integrated MMTV proviral copies. We have cloned an integrated MMTV provirus with its adjacent chromosomal DNA and we have established that the insertion site was part of a domain of the mouse genome in which MMTV proviruses are inserted in many different tumours. A gene within this domain, called int-1 is transcriptionally activated as a consequence of proviral integration. We have proposed that int-1 is a cellular oncogene for mammary tumours. Proviral activation of int-1 occurs in cis, over distances of up to 10 kilobases and is presumably caused by the transcriptional enhancer present on the MMTV long terminal repeat. The putative int-1 mammary oncogene has been subjected to a detailed structural analysis by S1 mapping and DNA sequencing. It encodes a protein that is highly conserved between mouse and man. The protein encoding domain of the gene is distributed over four exons which are demarcated by the insertion sites of MMTV proviruses found in mammary tumours. Some insertions, however, are found in the transcriptional unit of int-1, but these insertions do not disrupt the protein encoding domain of the gene.

Production of mouse mammary tumor virus upon transfection of a recombinant proviral DNA into cultured cells

We have investigated the intracellular proteins synthesized in rat XC and feline kidney cells transfected with endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) proviral DNA. The endogenous provirus GR40, associated with the Mtv-8 locus, directs the synthesis of gag proteins indistinguishable from those found in MMTV-infected cells. The env precursor Pr73env and the mature gp52 proteins could not be detected in these cells. Instead an env-related protein of 68K is synthesized. In contrast to this endogenous provirus, a cloned exogenous proviral variant directs the synthesis of apparently normal env proteins upon transfection into the same cell lines. These results suggest that the env gene of the endogenous MMTV provirus GR40 is defective. The exogenous proviral variant is not expected to synthesize virus particles since it carries a rearrangement in the gag gene. In order to obtain an MMTV provirus capable of correctly expressing both gag and env functions, we have constructed a hybrid endogenous-exogenous provirus containing the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR)-gag of GR40 and the pol-env-3' LTR of the exogenous provirus. Upon transfection into feline kidney cells, this hybrid provirus directed the synthesis of apparently authentic gag and env proteins. Further, virus particles can be detected in the culture medium of the transfected cells by electron microscopy. Viral proteins obtained from viral particles banded in a sucrose gradient were detected by immunoprecipitation.

Molecular basis of altered mouse mammary tumor virus expression in the D-2 hyperplastic alveolar nodule line of BALB/c mice

The preneoplastic D-2 hyperplastic outgrowth line, which was derived from a hormone-induced hyperplastic alveolar nodule (HAN) of a BALB/c mouse, was used for a detailed analysis of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) expression. The D-2 HAN line has previously been shown to express viral RNA representative of the entire genome, although viral particles have been noted only rarely. The MMTV-specific mRNA, protein, and DNA content of the D-2 tissues was defined in an effort to better understand the molecular basis of the aberrant virus expression. Northern blotting techniques demonstrated the presence of properly processed 8.9 kb (genomic) and 3.6 kb (envelope) mRNA. Protein electroblotting procedures established the presence of properly processed viral core protein p28. In contrast, the envelope precursor polyprotein was not processed into detectable levels of gp52. Analysis of MMTV proviral content by Southern blot methodology revealed the presence of a newly acquired provirus which serves as a marker for the clonal nature of the D-2 line. The origin of the new provirus is unknown. Methylation studies established that the new proviral insert is hypomethylated and, therefore, is likely serving as the template for the MMTV expression observed in the D-2 HAN line. These characteristics of the D-2 line make it an excellent system in which to study the role, if any, of MMTV in the progression of D-2 preneoplastic tissues to the tumor phenotype.

Proteins encoded by the long terminal repeat region of mouse mammary tumor virus: identification by hybrid-selected translation

The long terminal repeat (LTR) region of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is known to contain an open reading frame of sufficient length to code for a protein of 36,000 Mr. The coding capacity of the 3' sequences of MMTV genomic RNA has been demonstrated by in vitro translation studies, which have reported the synthesis of four related proteins: p36, p24, p21, and p18. These proteins are overlapping translation products of the same open reading frame, with the smaller ones initiating at internal methionine codons. From the predicted amino acid sequence of the LTR protein, we have selected a region likely to be antigenic, obtained a synthetic peptide of that region, and raised antiserum to the peptide. The antipeptide serum specifically immunoprecipitated all four proteins from in vitro translated genomic 3' MMTV RNA, plus an additional one of 32,000 Mr. Published sequence data of MMRV LTRs show an internal AUG codon at a position which could initiate a protein of 32,000 Mr. The three smaller in vitro translation products (p24, p21, and p18) were consistently synthesized in much greater amounts than the p36 or p32 protein. The relative amount of each in vitro synthesized protein from genomic MMTV RNA could be predicted and was in good agreement with the postulated effect of flanking nucleotides on the efficiency of the respective AUG initiation codon. Polyadenylated RNAs, isolated from various mouse tissues, were selected by hybridization to plasmid DNA containing MMTV LTR sequences immobilized on nitrocellulose. In vitro translation of hybrid-selected mRNAs isolated from BALB/c mouse lactating mammary glands and carcinogen-induced mammary tumors, followed by immunoprecipitation with antipeptide serum, revealed that only one polypeptide was synthesized by the MMTV LTR-specific mRNA, the 36,000 Mr species.

Mouse mammary tumor virus DNA methylation: tissue-specific variation

Mouse mammary tumor virus-specific DNA sequences endogenous to the BALB/c mouse are shown to exhibit variable levels of methylation in a tissue-specific manner. In DNA from both lactating mammary gland and spleen, MMTV-specific sequences were hypomethylated at specific HpaII and HhaI sites. These variably methylated sites were found in the terminal repetitive sequences of the endogenous viral genomes. The specific hypomethylation of a HpaII site in Mtv-9 is associated with expression of a 1.6 kb transcript in the lactating mammary gland.

Tumorigenesis by mouse mammary tumor virus: proviral activation of a cellular gene in the common integration region int-2

Approximately 50% of tumors induced by mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) contain an acquired provirus within a limited region of chromosomal DNA, termed int-2. We have extended our previous characterization of this locus and have mapped provirus integration sites in 21 independent tumors. Although integration occurs at multiple sites, proviruses within int-2 are distributed into two oppositely oriented groups whose transcription is directed away from a central domain. Provirus insertion in int-2 is accompanied by expression of RNA derived, at least in part, from this central domain. Since the RNA is not detected in normal mammary tissue, we conclude that MMTV integration activates the expression of a cellular gene within int-2 and that this event may contribute to tumorigenesis.

Asymmetric transcription of mouse mammary tumor virus genes in vivo and in vitro

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) DNA fragments were cloned into M13 bacteriophage, and the single-stranded recombinant phage DNAs were used as strand-specific nucleic acid hybridization probes to measure synthesis of plus (genomic) and minus strands of MMTV RNA in cultured cell lines and in cell-free preparations of nuclei. Pulse-labeling studies showed that synthesis of MMTV RNA in three different cell lines was highly asymmetric. In nuclear preparations from a cloned line of MMTV-infected rat hepatoma cells, elongation of nascent MMTV RNA chains and initiation of new MMTV RNA chains with nucleoside (beta-S)triphosphates were also highly asymmetric.

Mouse mammary tumor virus can mediate cell fusion at reduced pH

Mouse mammary tumor virus, a type-B retrovirus, was shown to mediate fusion of cultured cells following low-pH treatment. Fusion could be demonstrated both with virus-infected cells or with uninfected cells carrying freshly absorbed virus. Although the fusion response was variable between different cell lines, one line of MMTV-infected mink lung cells, designated MGR4, was particularly susceptible to fusion at reduced pH. Since expression of MMTV in these cells is strongly regulated by glucocorticoids, it was possible to demonstrate that cell fusion was dependent on MMTV-encoded functions. With MGR4 cells, a pH threshold for membrane fusion was observed, centered on pH 5.5, at which 50% of the cells were fused. At lower pHs virtually all of the cells in the monolayer fused. These results are similar to those described for other virus groups and are consistent with the idea that most enveloped animal viruses infect cells by a common mechanism involving membrane fusion triggered by low pH.

Increased concentration of an indigenous proviral mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat-containing transcript is associated with neoplastic transformation of mammary epithelium in C3H/Sm mice

Increased amounts of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) proviral transcripts were found in RNA dot blots from MMTV-negative, C3H/Sm mouse mammary tumors which arose spontaneously or were induced by hormonal or chemical carcinogens or both. Other dot blots probed with a long terminal repeat (LTR) probe showed that LTR (MMTV)-containing transcripts were disproportionately represented in these tumor RNAs. Different segments of the MMTV genome were used in sequential hybridizations to Northern blots to determine relative sequence content and size of MMTV transcripts in transformed mammary tissues, as compared with those in lactating mammary glands. Increased amounts of 4.4-kilobase env and 8.1-kilobase genomic MMTV transcripts were detected with an env probe in many of the tumor RNAs examined. Hybridization of the same Northern blots containing tumor RNAs with an LTR probe revealed a 2.2-kilobase transcript which was prominent in RNAs from chemically-induced, hormonally-induced, and spontaneous mammary tumors relative to those from lactating mammary glands. The LTR-containing transcript did not possess significant homology to either env or gag-pol probes. This distinctive, transformation-enhanced, 2.2-kilobase transcript may contain mouse cellular sequences in addition to LTR sequences or it may represent the message for a nonstructural viral protein encoded within the LTR open reading frame of one or more of the four C3H/Sm MMTV proviral genes.

A small region of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat confers glucocorticoid hormone regulation on a linked heterologous gene

Expression of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) proviruses is transcriptionally regulated by glucocorticoid hormones. We have linked the MMTV long terminal repeat (LTR) to the coding region of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene and used this construction to characterize sequences within the LTR that are involved in glucocorticoid regulation. Our results show that 290 base pairs (bp) of the MMTV LTR, including 190 bp upstream from the start site for transcription, are sufficient to confer regulation on the downstream gene. Deletion of an additional 50 bp, leaving sequences from position -140 to +100, eliminates the response. However, the constitutive level of expression is maintained even after deletion of sequences upstream from position -80, indicating that sequences required for the hormone response can be distinguished from those required for basal expression. We also have shown, by making a 4-bp insertion or a 20-bp deletion around position -107, that the distance between the putative signal for hormone response and the start site of transcription can be varied without affecting regulation. Furthermore, replacement of MMTV sequences from position -59 to +100 with analogous sequences from the Rous sarcoma virus LTR does not change the regulation.

Terminal amino acid sequences and proteolytic cleavage sites of mouse mammary tumor virus env gene products

The mature envelope glycoproteins of mouse mammary tumor virus (gp52 and gp36) were isolated by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of gp36 was determined for 28 residues. The C-terminal amino acid sequences of gp52 and gp36 were determined by carboxypeptidase digestion. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of gp52 has been reported previously (L. O. Arthur et al., J. Virol. 41:414-422, 1982). These data were aligned with the predicted amino acid sequence of the env gene product obtained by translation of the DNA sequence (S. M. S. Redmond and C. Dickson, Eur. Mol. Biol. Org. J. 2:125-131, 1983). The amino acid sequences of the mature viral proteins were in agreement with the predicted amino acid sequence of the env gene product over the regions of alignment. This alignment showed the sites of proteolytic cleavages of the env gene product leading to the mature viral envelope glycoproteins. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of gp52 starts at residue 99 of the predicted structure indicating proteolytic cleavage of a signal peptide. A dipeptide (Lys-Arg) is excised between the C-terminus of gp52 and the N-terminus of gp36. The C-terminal amino acid sequence of gp36 is identical to the sequence predicted by the codons immediately preceding the termination codon for the env gene product. The data show that there is no proteolytic processing at the C-terminal of the murine mammary tumor virus env gene product and that the env gene coding region extends into the long terminal repeat.

Nucleotide sequencing of an apparent proviral copy of env mRNA defines determinants of expression of the mouse mammary tumor virus env gene

To extend our understanding of the organization and expression of the mouse mammary tumor virus genome, we determined the nucleotide sequence of large regions of a cloned mouse mammary tumor virus strain C3H provirus that appears to be a DNA copy of env mRNA. In conjunction with analysis of several additional clones of integrated and unintegrated mouse mammary tumor virus DNAs, we came to the following conclusions: (i) the mRNA for env is generated by splicing mechanisms that recognize conventional eucaryotic signals at donor and acceptor sites with a leader of at least 289 bases in length; (ii) the first of three possible initiation codons for translation of env follows the splice junction by a single nucleotide and produces a signal peptide of 98 amino acids; (iii) the amino terminal sequence of the major virion glycoprotein gp52env is confirmed by nucleotide sequencing and is encoded by a sequence beginning 584 nucleotides from the 5' end of env mRNA; (iv) the final 17 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus of the primary product of env are encoded within the long terminal repeat by the 51 bases at the 5' end of the U3 domain; and (v) bases 2 through 4 at the 5' end of the long terminal repeat constitute an initiation codon that commences an open reading frame capable of directing the synthesis of a 36-kilodalton protein.

Evidence for a prokaryotic promoter in the murine mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat

The long terminal repeat (LTR) of C3H murine mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) is approx. 1.3 kb long. HaeIII digestion of a cloned PstI fragment containing the left-end LTR generated four fragments of sizes 0.56, 0.41, 0.34 and 0.14 kb, one of which (0.41 kb) had a promoter activity in Escherichia coli. This was demonstrated by replacing the bacterial promoter for the neomycin-resistance (NmR) gene in the plasmid pKC56 with the HaeIII fragments. Only the 0.41-kb fragment that contains sequences from the U3 region of the LTR was found to contain a promoter, as shown by the expression of the drug-resistance phenotype in the recombinant plasmid. The strength of this promoter was comparable to or greater than that found with the parental NmR gene promoter. S1 nuclease mapping of the NmR gene transcript indicated that the initiation of this transcript occurred within the 0.41-kb LTR fragment from a site approx. 10 bp upstream from the 3' end. A comparison of the known DNA sequences in the MuMTV LTR with those found in bacterial promoters revealed that a 'Pribnow box', the initiation signal for the prokaryotic promoters, is present in the 0.41-kb LTR fragment upstream from the initiation site. Furthermore, in a recombinant plasmid that contained the complete LTR the same promoter sequences appeared to be involved in the initiation of RNA transcription. The 0.34-kb LTR fragment, which contains sequences derived from the U3 and U5 regions of the LTR, did not possess promoter activity in E. coli. However, it was found to induce deletions of adjacent plasmid DNA sequences. The deletions were specifically initiated from the downstream end of the LTR-fragment insert. The presence of a prokaryotic promoter in the MuMTV LTR, together with the observation that certain LTR sequences can induce deletions, analogous to those caused by transposable elements, in recombinant plasmids suggest that the MuMTV LTR may have evolved from such elements.

Subfragments of the large terminal repeat cause glucocorticoid-responsive expression of mouse mammary tumor virus and of an adjacent gene

After transfection of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) proviral DNA into cultured cells, the DNA is transcribed in a glucocorticoid-sensitive fashion. The large terminal repeat (LTR) region of MMTV is 1,328 nucleotides long and contains the regulatory information necessary for the hormonal response. We have constructed a MMTV LTR-thymidine kinase (tk) chimeric gene and have tested the biological activity of molecules containing various deletions in the LTR after transformation of LTK- APRT- mouse cells. In the TK+ transformants, both a LTR- tk chimeric RNA and an authentic tk RNA are correctly initiated and transcribed. The synthesis of the chimeric RNA as well as that of the tk RNA is hormonally regulated. A plasmid containing 202 nucleotides of LTR DNA 5' to the RNA initiation site is fully sensitive to glucocorticoids; 50 nucleotides still cause a residual inducibility.

Tumorigenesis by mouse mammary tumor virus: evidence for a common region for provirus integration in mammary tumors

We have prepared specific probes for unique-sequence cellular DNA adjacent to each of the newly integrated proviruses in tumors induced by mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV). The use of such probes to screen a large number of independent mammary tumors in the BR6 strain of mouse has indicated that in at least 17 out of the 40 tumors examined so far, an MMTV provirus has integrated into a common chromosomal domain. A 10 kb Eco RI fragment of single copy DNA from this region has been isolated and partially characterized by restriction enzyme mapping. Of the proviruses located within this fragment in different tumors, all but one are complete, in the same orientation, and clustered within about 3 kb of cellular DNA. These findings are consistent with an insertional mutagenesis model for tumorigenesis by MMTV, in which the integration of a provirus in a particular region of cellular DNA may activate a neighboring oncogene. The region we describe here appears to be different from that reported for mammary tumors in the C3H strain of mouse.

Structural analysis of a 1.7-kilobase mouse mammary tumor virus-specific RNA

We have detected a mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-specific 1.7-kilobase (kb) polyadenylated RNA in mammary glands of several mouse strains. In BALB/c mice, it is the only MMTV-specific RNA species present. C3H and GR mammary glands and tumors contain, in addition, 3.8- and 7.8-kb MMTV RNAs. Nuclease S1 analysis was performed to map 1.7-kb polyadenylated RNA. It contains predominantly long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences. The 5' end maps approximately 134 nucleotides upstream from the 3' end of the LTR. Colinearity with complete proviral DNA continues to a site about 153 nucleotides downstream from the left (5') LTR. No sequences from the middle part of proviral DNA were found. Colinearity with proviral DNA is resumed 72 nucleotides upstream from the right (3') LTR. The nucleotide sequence in this area is TTCCAGT, which is a splice acceptor consensus sequence. The anatomy of 1.7-kb RNA indicates that it may serve as a messenger for the 36,700-dalton protein encoded by the LTRs of MMTV.

Transcription of mouse mammary tumor virus: identification of a candidate mRNA for the long terminal repeat gene product

We have examined an assortment of preneoplastic and neoplastic mouse mammary tissues for the presence of an mRNA which could encode the putative long terminal repeat gene product of mouse mammary tumor virus. We report here the detection of a novel mouse mammary tumor virus-specific, polyadenylic acid-containing transcript in certain preneoplastic and neoplastic mammary tissue of BALB/c mice. The molecule is 1.6 kilobases in length and contains sequences from the transcriptional leader and the U3 region of the proviral DNA. The upstream terminus of the 3' information lies 75 to 80 nucleotides from the beginning of the long terminal repeat open reading frame, in close proximity to a consensus splice acceptor in the DNA. The transcript was detected in hormonally or chemically induced neoplastic, preneoplastic, and lactating mammary tissue of BALB/c mice, but not in preneoplastic or tumor tissue induced by exogenous viruses in any strain of mice examined. This implies that the RNA we observed is transcribed from an endogenous provirus template.

Further evidence for the protein coding potential of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat: nucleotide sequence of an endogenous proviral long terminal repeat

The 3' half of an endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus from a C3H mouse was cloned in the Charon 4A vector phage. A comparison of the proviral clone with previously published endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus restriction maps identified it as endogenous unit II (J. Cohen and H. Varmus, Nature [London] 278:418-423, 1979), which is present in all inbred mouse strains derived from the original Bagg albino x DBA cross. The nucleotide sequence of the unit II long terminal redundancy (LTR) was determined and compared with the sequence previously determined for the exogenous C3H virus LTR (Donehower et al., J. Virol. 37:226-238, 1981). Virtually all sequence differences between the two LTRs were base substitutions. The total amount of sequence divergence was 6.6%. The large open reading frame reported previously in the exogenous LTR was preserved in the endogenous LTR. In addition, the pattern of sequence divergence was highly nonrandom with respect to the putative amino acid codons of the two open reading frames. Most of the base substitutions in this region resulted in silent or conservative amino acid codon changes. The nonrandom divergence pattern indicates that selective forces are operating on this segment of DNA and argues that the putative protein is functional in the life cycle of mouse mammary tumor virus. Possible roles for the protein and its mode of expression are discussed.

Many tumors induced by the mouse mammary tumor virus contain a provirus integrated in the same region of the host genome

We have asked whether oncogenesis by the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), a slowly oncogenic retrovirus, involves integration of viral DNA within a certain region of the host genome. We first identified a C3H mouse mammary tumor bearing a single new MMTV provirus and cloned a 19 kilobase (kb) DNA restriction fragment containing a junction of viral and host sequences. Host sequences from this clone were used to retrieve 25 kb of the uninterrupted locus (termed MMTV int1) from a bacteriophage library of normal mouse DNA. Hybridization with subcloned DNA fragments of MMTV int1 detected abnormal restriction fragments in digests of DNA from 18 of 26 C3H mammary tumors. The rearrangements all appeared to be due to the insertion of an MMTV provirus, and the integration sites were located in at least five clusters over a total distance of 19 kb. A polyadenylated 2.6 kb RNA species transcribed from int1 was found in the few tumors tested, but not in lactating mammary glands from C3H mice. Of 12 tested viral oncogenes, none exhibited homology with cloned DNA from this locus. We propose that tumorigenesis by MMTV is strongly favored by proviral insertion within the int1 locus, perhaps as a consequence of enhanced expression of a novel cellular oncogene.

Identification of a unique mouse mammary tumor virus in the BALB/cNIV mouse strain

We examined the genetic structure, in terms of restriction endonuclease recognition sites, of the milk-transmitted, low-oncogenic mouse mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) of the BALB/cNIV mouse strain. An analysis with EcoRI documented the presence of acquired cNIV proviruses in the mammary tumor DNAs of BALB/cNIV animals. A comparison of tumor DNAs digested with PstI showed that both the cNIV MuMTV and C3Hf MuMTV proviruses lacked the 4.3- and 1.1-kilobase pair fragments characteristic of C3H MuMTV patterns. An examination of mammary tumor and normal, nonmammary tissue DNAs with BamHI supported the idea that the cNIV MuMTV is identical to the C3Hf MuMTV and demonstrated that these two low-oncogenic proviruses are identical to the high-oncogenic C3H MuMTV provirus with respect to a pair of BamHI sites which define a 1.3-kilobase pair fragment. For each of the three MuMTV strains, we also mapped DNAs generated in isolated virions by reverse transcription of their genomic RNAs. Our results showed that cNIV and C3Hf MuMTV are distinct entities by virtue of an additional PstI site within the cNIV long terminal repeat sequence. Another unique feature of cNIV MuMTV revealed by the analysis of virion-generated DNAs was the existence of a family of genomes within the cNIV population. We concluded that cNIV is distinct from its presumptive C3Hf MuMTV predecessor.

Conservation of protein coding potential in the long terminal repeats of exogenous and endogenous mouse mammary tumor viruses

In vitro protein synthesis and DNA sequence analysis indicate that mouse mammary tumor virus differs from other well-characterized retroviruses in that the long terminal repeat region of the provirus has the capacity to encode proteins. Different exogenously transmitted mouse mammary tumor virus strains and endogenous proviral units conserved this open reading frame feature in the long terminal repeat despite a variation in nucleotide sequence. The proteins encoded by the different long terminal repeats were clearly related, but showed minor variations in size and tryptic peptide maps. In each case, the largest in vitro product had a molecular weight of about 36,000 to 37,000, suggesting that the open reading frame sequences must extend for approximately 1,000 nucleotides beginning at the extreme 5' end of the long terminal repeat. The fact that the reading frame was conserved among these viruses argues in favor of an in vivo function for the open reading frame protein.

Candidate product of the FBJ murine osteosarcoma virus oncogene: characterization of a 55,000-dalton phosphoprotein

Sera from rat bearing tumors induced by inoculation of FBJ murine osteogenic sarcoma virus (FBJ-MSV) nonproducer rat cells precipitate two proteins with molecular weights of 55,000 (p55) and 39,000 (p39) from FBJ-MSV-transformed cells. These proteins cannot be precipitated from uninfected cells or cells transformed by other strains of murine sarcoma virus, nor can they be precipitated by sera specific for the viral structural proteins. A methionine tryptic peptide mapping analysis showed that p55 and p39 have little or no homology and that they are not related to the helper virus gag and env gene products. p55 could also be detected among the in vitro translation products of 70S RNA from FBJ murine leukemia virus plus FBJ-MSV virions but not among those from FBJ murine leukemia virus alone. This suggests that p55 is encoded by the FBJ-MSV genome, whereas p39, which was not detected among the in vitro translation products, may not be virus encoded. Another difference between p55 and p39 is that p55 is phosphorylated, with most of the phosphate on a serine residue(s), whereas p39 is phosphorylated to a much lesser extent, if at all. No protein kinase activity was associated with p55 and p39 immune complexes under standard conditions. Our data suggest that p55 is a strong candidate for the FBJ-MSV oncogene product.