Modulation of G-protein linked cAMP accumulation in immortalized murine cortical astrocytes by retroviral infection

The present study characterized beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-AR) in a clonal cell line (C1) immortalized from cerebral cortical astroglial cells of FVB/N mice. We also determined whether the wild type Moloney murine leukemia virus (wt-MoMuLV) and one of its neuropathogenic mutants, ts1-MoMuLV, modulated the beta-AR system in these cells. We observed that C1 cells possess a functional beta-AR system coupled to cAMP accumulation and capable of normal agonist-induced regulation (desensitization). Significant increases were observed in forskolin stimulated cAMP accumulation in C1 cells infected by wt MoMuLV and by ts1-MoMuLV. In contrast, the cAMP response to beta-AR stimulated by isoproterenol was relatively spared after viral exposure.