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Infectivity of Friend murine leukemia virus for hamster cells

Insights

Hamster-adapted Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) infects hamster cells but is less sensitive than in mouse cells. However, chronic infection yields comparable virus titers, and F-MuLV can facilitate other murine leukemia virus infections in hamsters.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) is a retrovirus known to infect rodent cells.
  • Understanding F-MuLV tropism and infectivity in different host cells is crucial for viral pathogenesis research.
  • Previous studies have focused on F-MuLV in mouse models, with limited data on hamster cell interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the infectivity and replication of hamster-adapted F-MuLV in hamster cells.
  • To compare the sensitivity of hamster cells to F-MuLV with that of mouse cells.
  • To explore the potential of F-MuLV in facilitating the infection of other murine leukemia viruses in hamster cells.

Main Methods:

  • Infection of hamster cells with hamster-adapted F-MuLV.
  • Quantification of XC-positive progeny virus.
  • Comparison of viral sensitivity between hamster and mouse cells.
  • Phenotypic mixing experiments with xenotropic and amphotropic murine leukemia viruses.
  • In vitro transformation assays using murine sarcoma virus pseudotyped with F-MuLV.

Main Results:

  • Hamster-adapted F-MuLV infected hamster cells, producing XC-positive progeny.
  • Hamster cells exhibited approximately 100-fold lower sensitivity to hamster-adapted F-MuLV compared to mouse cells.
  • Chronic infection of hamster cells with F-MuLV resulted in comparable progeny virus titers to infected mouse cells.
  • Xenotropic and amphotropic murine leukemia viruses could infect hamster cells via phenotypic mixing with F-MuLV.
  • Murine sarcoma virus pseudotyped with F-MuLV efficiently induced sarcomas in hamsters and transformed hamster cells in vitro.

Conclusions:

  • Hamster cells are permissive to F-MuLV infection, albeit with reduced sensitivity compared to mouse cells.
  • F-MuLV can act as a helper virus to enable infection by other murine leukemia viruses in hamster cells.
  • F-MuLV-pseudotyped murine sarcoma virus demonstrates oncogenic potential in hamsters, highlighting F-MuLV's role in oncogenesis.

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