A small region of the ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) gag gene profoundly influences the types of polytropic MuLVs generated in mice.

The vast majority of recombinant polytropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) generated in mice after infection by ecotropic MuLVs can be classified into two major antigenic groups based on their reactivities to two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) termed Hy 7 and 516. These groups very likely correspond to viruses formed by recombination of the ecotropic MuLV with two distinct sets of polytropic env genes present in the genomes of inbred mouse strains. We have found that nearly all polytropic MuLVs identified in mice infected with a substrain of Friend MuLV (F-MuLV57) are reactive with Hy 7, whereas mice infected with Moloney MuLV (Mo-MuLV) generate major populations of both Hy 7- and 516-reactive polytropic MuLVs. We examined polytropic MuLVs generated in NFS/N mice after inoculation with Mo-MuLV-F-MuLV57 chimeras to determine which regions of the viral genome influence this difference between the two ecotropic MuLVs. These studies identified a region of the MuLV genome which encodes the nucleocapsid protein and a portion of the viral protease as the only region that influenced the difference in polytropic-MuLV generation by Mo-MuLV and F-MuLV57.

A multistep process of leukemogenesis in Moloney murine leukemia virus-infected mice that is modulated by retroviral pseudotyping and interference.

Mixed retroviral infections frequently exhibit pseudotyping, in which the genome of one virus is packaged in a virion containing SU proteins encoded by another virus. Infection of mice by Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV), which induces lymphocytic leukemia, results in a mixed viral infection composed of the inoculated ecotropic M-MuLV and polytropic MuLVs generated by recombination of M-MuLV with endogenous retroviral sequences. In this report, we describe pseudotyping which occurred among the polytropic and ecotropic MuLVs in M-MuLV-infected mice. Infectious center assays of polytropic MuLVs released from splenocytes or thymocytes of infected mice revealed that polytropic MuLVs were extensively pseudotyped within ecotropic virions. Late in the preleukemic stage, a dramatic change in the extent of pseudotyping occurred in thymuses. Starting at about 5 weeks, there was an abrupt increase in the number of thymocytes that released nonpseudotyped polytropic viruses. A parallel increase in thymocytes that released ecotropic M-MuLV packaged within polytropic virions was also observed. Analyses of the clonality of preleukemic thymuses and thymomas suggested that the change in pseudotyping characteristics was not the result of the emergence of tumor cells. Examination of mice infected with M-MuLV, Friend erythroleukemia virus, and a Friend erythroleukemia virus-M-MuLV chimeric virus suggested that the appearance of polytropic virions late in the preleukemic stage correlated with the induction of lymphocytic leukemia. We discuss different ways in which pseudotypic mixing may facilitate leukemogenesis, including a model in which the kinetics of thymic infection, modulated by pseudotyping and viral interference, facilitates a stepwise mechanism of leukemogenesis.

Characterization of epitopes defining two major subclasses of polytropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) which are differentially expressed in mice infected with different ecotropic MuLVs.

Polytropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) arise in mice by recombination of ecotropic MuLVs with endogenous retroviral envelope genes and have been implicated in the induction of hematopoietic proliferative diseases. Inbred mouse strains contain many endogenous sequences which are homologous to the polytropic env genes; however, the extent to which particular sequences participate in the generation of the recombinants is unknown. Previous studies have established antigenic heterogeneity among the env genes of polytropic MuLVs, which may reflect recombination with distinct endogenous genes. In the present study, we have examined many polytropic MuLVs and found that nearly all isolates fall into two mutually exclusive antigenic subclasses on the basis of the ability of their SU proteins to react with one of two monoclonal antibodies, termed Hy 7 and MAb 516. Epitope-mapping studies revealed that reactivity to the two antibodies is dependent on the identity of a single amino acid residue encoded in a variable region of the receptor-binding domain of the env gene. This indicated that the two antigenic subclasses of MuLVs arose by recombination with distinct sets of endogenous genes. Evaluation of polytropic MuLVs in mice revealed distinctly different ratios of the two subclasses after inoculation of different ecotropic MuLVs, suggesting that individual ecotropic MuLVs preferentially recombine with distinct sets of endogenous polytropic env genes.

Inhibition of the Moloney murine leukemia virus cycle at a post reverse transcriptional step by the netropsin-intercalating hybrid molecule netropsin-oxazolopyridocarbazole.

In a search for new antiretroviral agents acting at the nucleic acid level, two hybrid molecules composed of a bispyrrolecarboxamide chain related to netropsin, linked to the intercalating chromophore oxazolopyridocarbazole, were tested on the cycle of a defective Moloney murine leukemia virus (M.MuLV) derived from the SVX shuttle and expressing resistance to the G418 antibiotic. The drug netropsin-oxazolopyridocarbazole (Net-OPC), which displays a binding preference to duplex DNA containing A + T bases, inhibits the retroviral replicative cycle (IC50 = 4.8 microM). In contrast, the related molecule (bis)pyrollecarboxamide-oxazolopyridocarbazole (Bpc-OPC) devoid of sequence preference as well as the elemental components of Net-OPC, namely OPC, pentyl-OPC and netropsin, displays no significant action on the viral cycle. The estimation of cytosolic viral DNA in infected cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction suggests that Net-OPC impairs a post retrotranscriptional step of the viral cycle.

Oligonucleotides encapsulated in pH sensitive liposomes are efficient toward Friend retrovirus.

Retroviruses present multiple RNA targets for antisense oligonucleotides. An oligodesoxyribonucleotide (15 mer) complementary to the region of the initiation codon AUG of the env gene mRNA of Friend retrovirus was an inhibitor of the translation of Env protein in vitro. No effect was observed on cells infected with Friend retrovirus. We observed that these oligomers were rapidly degraded in cellular medium. After encapsulation into liposomes, they inhibited the spreading of the virus for chronic or de novo infection. We have compared the efficiency of two compositions of liposomes: pH sensitive and non pH sensitive formulations. Oligomers encapsulated in pH sensitive liposomes were more active that those encapsulated in non pH sensitive liposomes. pH sensitive liposomes could allow to avoid degradation of oligomers by lysosomes.

Inhibition of murine leukemia viruses by nuclease-resistant alpha-oligonucleotides.

We studied the antiviral activity of nuclease-resistant alpha-anomeric oligonucleotides. An alpha-oligonucleotide (20-mer) targeted to the primer binding site (PBS) of murine retroviruses inhibited viral spreading. The inhibition only occurred when the cells had been electropermeabilized in the presence of the oligonucleotide. The PBS sequence is involved in reverse transcription and in translation. The data suggest that the oligonucleotide could perturb reverse transcription activity. Thus, either the oligonucleotide induced a decrease in initiation or it inhibited the extension of the minus or plus strands DNA during reverse transcription. These results show that reverse transcription may be an interesting target for antisense oligonucleotides.

Comparison of anti-RNA properties of normal and ellipticine functionalized alpha and beta-oligonucleotides.

RNA is not cleaved as a consequence of the binding of RNase H to the duplex between RNA and a complementary alpha-oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo). In consequence targets have been selected which do not a priori require the action of RNase H to inhibit genetic expression. Two models have been used: The Friend Murine Leukemia Virus (F-MuLV) and the synthesis of rabbit beta globin.alpha-oligos trigger specific inhibitions in both systems. The functionalisation in 5' with the intercalating agent 9-NH2-ellipticine renders the oligos resistant to degradation and allows a direct action on cells.

Inhibition of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase by alpha-anomeric oligonucleotides.

After parallel hybridization to complementary template RNA, alpha-anomeric oligonucleotides are not primers for Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. As can be expected they are competitors of classical primer oligonucleotides (beta-anomeric). They therefore inhibit the RNA dependent DNA polymerase activity of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase with either homopolymeric or heteropolymeric substrates. Non complementary alpha-oligonucleotides display no inhibitory activity. alpha-Oligonucleotides are therefore potential candidates for inhibition of retroviral reverse transcriptases by interference with the primer binding sites.

Alpha-anomeric DNA: beta-RNA hybrids as new synthetic inhibitors of Escherichia coli RNase H, Drosophila embryo RNase H and M-MLV reverse transcriptase.

Nuclease-resistant alpha-anomeric DNA:beta-RNA hybrids are inhibitors of Escherichia coli RNase H, and Drosophila embryo RNase H. RNase H activities were measured by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, employing a short substrate, (A)12:d[G-G-(T)12-G-G], or by acid-solubility techniques, using a long substrate, poly(A):poly(dT). Strand exchanges which could be responsible for the observed inhibition have been ruled out by S1 nuclease experiments and by using inhibitors which do not allow strand exchange. Our results suggest that RNase H, for which DNA:RNA duplexes are the natural substrates, binds to non-physiological alpha-DNA:RNA hybrids and is consequently inhibited. These hybrids also inhibit the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of M-MLV reverse transcriptase, therefore appearing as potential inhibitors of at least two reverse transcriptase activities. However, the inhibitory effect of these hybrids with respect to M-MLV reverse transcriptase is also observed with the single-stranded alpha-DNA itself. Unexpectedly, polymerase activity is highly stimulated by alpha-oligos, analogous in their sequence to the beta primer used at a concentration unable to generate a detectable synthesis. These results suggest that the inhibition of reverse transcriptase activity with the alpha:beta may occur at different levels.