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A family of retroviruses that utilize related phosphate transporters for cell entry

D G Miller1, A D Miller

  • 1Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104.

Journal of Virology
|December 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Murine retrovirus receptors Ram-1 and Glvr-1 function as phosphate symporters. Hybrid receptors enabled entry for both gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) and amphotropic virus, revealing a close functional relationship.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The amphotropic murine retrovirus receptor Ram-1 and gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) receptor Glvr-1 are sequence-similar cell surface proteins.
  • Both Ram-1 and Glvr-1 function as sodium-dependent phosphate symporters.
  • Species-specific differences exist in receptor usage; human/rat Ram-1 does not bind GALV, and human Glvr-1 does not bind amphotropic virus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the receptor usage of murine retrovirus 10A1.
  • To explore the functional capacity of Ram-1/Glvr-1 hybrid receptors.
  • To elucidate the relationship between retroviruses utilizing the Ram-1/Glvr-1 receptor family.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized retroviral entry assays with different cell lines expressing Ram-1, Glvr-1, or hybrid receptors.
  • Constructed and tested Ram-1/Glvr-1 hybrid receptors.
  • Performed interference assays to assess viral tropism and receptor interactions.

Main Results:

  • Murine retrovirus 10A1 can utilize either Glvr-1 or Ram-1 for cell entry.
  • Ram-1/Glvr-1 hybrid receptors facilitated entry of both GALV and amphotropic virus.
  • GALV and amphotropic virus, typically in separate interference groups on human cells, interfered with each other on cells expressing hybrid receptors.

Conclusions:

  • Retroviruses using Ram-1 and Glvr-1 receptors share a close functional relationship.
  • Hybrid receptors provide a molecular basis for understanding nonreciprocal and cell-type-specific retroviral interference patterns.
  • This study defines a new family of retroviral receptors with implications for viral tropism and host range.

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