Restriction of C-type viral antigen in H-2/Fv-1 syngeneic mouse somatic cell hybrids

Somatic cell hybrids between an AKR lymphoma or a C3H sarcoma and H-2, Fv-1 syngeneic CBA sarcoma or carcinoma have been examined for expression of the structural components of murine leukemia virus (MuLV) by radioimmunoassay and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay. Parental AKR and C3H cells contained high concentrations of MuLV core protein p30 in their cell extracts and showed high sensitivity to anti-MuLVgp70 and p30 sera. In contrast, CBA cells expressed little detectable p30 in the extracts, were much less sensitive to anti-gp70 serum, and were almost insensitive to anti-p30 serum. The hybrids between the AKR or C3H cells and CBA cells had a decreased amount of p30 in the extracts and were almost resistant to cytotoxicity by anti-p30 serum, although they maintained high sensitivity to anti-gp70 serum. These findings suggest that the CBA genotype suppresses the production and cell-surface expression of p30 antigen of AKR and C3H endogenous C-type viruses. The suppressive gene is not Fv-1n.