Host range conversion of murine leukemia virus resulting from recombination with endogenous virus

Ecotropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs) are classified into B-N-, or NB-tropic MuLV by their host range determined by the Fv-1 gene product. B-tropic MuLV is restricted in N-type mouse cells (Fv-1 n/n) and N-tropic MuLV is restricted in B-type mouse cells (FV-1 b/b). Although forced passages in a restrictive host grant a wider host range (NB-tropism), we show here a host range conversion from B to N tropism. The conversion was most likely a result of recombination between the exogenously infected B-tropic MuLV and an endogenously expressed N-tropic MuLV in a C57BL/6 mouse cell line, YH-7.