As a model for human lung cancer, squamous cell carcinomas were induced by 3-methylcholanthrene in mouse tracheas which had been explanted to a subcutaneous site. The tumors that developed were examined for both ecotropic and xenotropic infectious murine leukemia virus (MuLV). From all squamous carcinomas--six out of six--a xenotropic MuLV was isolated. From some of the fibrosarcomas that occur...

We have isolated the gp70 of a helper-independent strain of a Friend mink cell focus-inducing (MCF) virus, Fr-MCF-1. This recombinant virus, like the previously described AKR-MCF viruses, has been shown by both biological and biochemical means to be an envelope gene recombinant between Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) and a mouse xenotropic virus. Utilizing (125)I- labeled Fr-MCF-1 gp70 an...

Xenotropic-murine-leukemia-virus-related virus (XMRV) was the first gammaretrovirus to be reported in humans. The sequence similarity between XMRV and murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) was consistent with an origin of XMRV from one or more MLVs present as endogenous proviruses in mouse genomes. Here, we review the relationship of the human and mouse virus isolates and discuss the potential complic...

Plasmacytomas are induced in BALB/c mice by the intraperitoneal injection of pristane (2,6,10,14-tetra-methylpentadecane) after a latent period of six months and more [Anderson, P. N. & Potter, M. (1969) Nature 222, 994-995]. Spleen cells mesenteric lymph node cells, thoracic lymph node cells, and peritoneal exudate cells were prepared from pristane-treated and control uninjected BALB/c mice du...

Interactions between the protease (PR) encoded by the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus and a number of potential inhibitors have been investigated by biochemical and structural techniques. It was observed that several inhibitors used clinically against HIV PR exhibit nanomolar or even subnanomolar values of K(i) , depending on the exact experimental conditions. Both TL-3, a univer...

The sequence of 863 contiguous nucleotides encompassing portions of the pol and env genes of NFS-Th-1 xenotropic proviral DNA was determined. This region of the xenotropic murine leukemia virus genome contains and env-specific segment that hybridizes exclusively to xenotropic and mink cell focus-forming but not to ecotropic proviral DNAs (C. E. Buckler et al., J. Virol. 41:228-236, 1982). The u...

Distinct type-specific antigens were detected on cells infected with cloned mink cell focus-inducing (MCF) murine leukemia viruses by means of cell surface immunofluorescence absorption assays with rabbit antisera raised against naturally-occurring AKR MCF viruses. The MCF type-specific antibodies were present in high titer and not absorbable by cells infected with ecotropic, xenotropic, or wil...

A new type of murine leukemia virus has been detected in thymuses of leukemic and late preleukemic AKR mice, in lymphomas developing in NIH Swiss mice carrying the AKR ectopic virus-inducing loci Akv-I or Akv-2, and in the thymus of a preleukemic C58 mouse. The viruses induce focal areas of morphologic alteration in a mink lung cell line and are tentatively referred to as "mink cell focus-induc...

Mendelian segregation analysis was used to define genetic loci for the induction of infectious xenotropic murine leukemia virus in several laboratory and wild-derived mice. MA/My mice contain two loci for xenotropic virus inducibility, one of which, Bxv -1, is the only induction locus carried by five other inbred strains. The second, novel MA/My locus, designated Mxv -1, is unlinked to Bxv -1 a...