Expression of the bovine leukemia virus X region in virus-infected cells

Bovine leukemia virus, like its closest relatives the human T-cell leukemia virus types I and II, contains a 1.8-kilobase X region between the env gene and the 3' long terminal repeat. In this communication, we report the detection and characterization of a subgenomic mRNA from which this X region is presumably translated. This mRNA was produced by a complex splicing mechanism which resulted in juxtaposition of the 5' end of the env gene and the two overlapping X-region open reading frames. Translation of this mRNA could yield at least two distinct proteins depending on which initiation codon is used. Detection of the protein encoded by the BLV X-region long open reading frame has been reported (N. Sagata, J. Tsuzuku-Kawamura, M. Nagayoshi-Aida, F. Shimizu, K.-I. Imagawa, and Y. Ikawa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:7879-7883, 1985). Using synthetic peptide antisera, we detected a protein encoded by the short open reading frame in virus-infected cells. The protein migrated in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with an apparent molecular weight of 19,000. It is a nuclear phosphoprotein.