Cell-free human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 binds to, and efficiently enters mouse cells

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia / lymphoma and other HTLV-1-associated diseases. However, the interaction between HTLV-1 and T cells in the pathogenesis of these diseases is poorly understood. Mouse cells have been reported to be resistant to cell-free HTLV-1 infection. However, we recently reported that HTLV-1 DNA could be observed 24 h after cell-free HTLV-1 infection of mouse cell lines. To understand HTLV-1 replication in these cells in detail, we concentrated the virus produced from c77 feline kidney cell line and established an efficient infection system. The amounts of adsorption of HTLV-1 are larger in mouse T cell lines, EL4 and RLm1, than those in human T cell lines, Molt4 and HUT78, and are similar to that in human kidney cell line, 293T. Unexpectedly, however, the amounts of entry of HTLV-1 are about 10-fold larger in the two mouse cell lines than those in the three human cell lines employed. Moreover, viral DNA was detectable from 1 h in EL4 and RLm1 cells, but only from 2 - 3 h in 293T, Molt4 and HUT78 cells. However, the amount of viral DNA in EL4 cells became smaller than that in Molt4 cells. HTLV-1 expression could be detected until day 1 - 2 in RLm1 and EL4 cells, and until day 4 in Molt4 cells. Our results suggest that mouse cell experiments would give useful information to dissect the early steps of cell-free HTLV-1 infection.