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Characterization of infectious oncornaviruses from MOPC-460 plasmacytomas: their relation to A-type particles

Journal of Virology
|October 1, 1979
PubMed

Insights

Researchers investigated murine leukemia virus isolates from MOPC-460 cells. Nucleic acid hybridization revealed infectious murine leukemia viruses differ from A-type particles and myeloma-associated virus (MAV), suggesting MAV may be defective.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • MOPC-460 mouse plasmacytoma cells produce intracellular A-type particles and extracellular myeloma-associated virus (MAV).
  • The genomes of A-type particles and MAV are closely related.
  • Attempts to infect cells with MOPC-460 extracellular particles yielded ecotropic and xenotropic murine leukemia virus isolates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between A-type particles, MAV, and isolated infectious murine leukemia viruses.
  • To determine if isolated murine leukemia viruses are related to MAV or A-type particles.
  • To assess the potential defectiveness of MAV.

Main Methods:

  • Nucleic acid hybridization using complementary DNA probes derived from ecotropic and xenotropic murine leukemia virus isolates.
  • Electron microscopy to examine A-type particle presence in infected cells.

Main Results:

  • Infectious murine leukemia viruses were found to differ genetically from A-type particles and MAV.
  • MAV was the predominant extracellular component, with ecotropic and xenotropic murine leukemia viruses present at low levels (<5%).
  • No A-type particles were observed in the cytoplasm of SC-1 or mink cells infected with the respective murine leukemia virus isolates.

Conclusions:

  • The isolated infectious murine leukemia viruses are distinct from MAV and A-type particles.
  • MAV represents the primary extracellular viral component, with infectious murine leukemia viruses at low abundance.
  • The inability to demonstrate infection by MAV suggests it may be a defective virus.

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