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A virus derived from cells of a Iymphoblastoid line originating from the lymph node of a healthy African green monkey was characterized as a typical member of the foamy virus subgroup of rctroviridac by its morphological, physicochemical, biological and biochemical properties (reverse transcriptase actvity). Besides the usual host range of foamy viruses, the isolated strain revealed a remarkable T -lymphotropism, distinguishing it from the prototypes of foamy viruses previously isolated from African green monkeys. Two foamy virus infectious are demonstrated in human contacts of the African green monkey colony, with the animal barbauring the isolate.
Recombinant clonesthat represent the 3' part ofthe genome of the human spumaretrovirus (foamy virus) were established from viral DNA and from DNA complementary to viral RNA. The recombinant clones were characterized by blot hybridizations and nucleotide sequence analysis. The deduced protein sequence of the clones at their 5' ends was found to be homologous to the 3' domain of retroviral reverse transcriptases. Downstream of a small intergerne pol-env region a long open reading frame of 985 amino acid residues was identified that according to its genomic location, size, glycosylation signals, and hydrophobicity protile closely resembles the lentiviral env genes. The spumaretroviral env gene is followed by two open reading frames, termed bel-l and bel-2 which are located between env and the long terminal repeat region. The long terminal repeat of 1259 nucleotides is preceded by a polypurine tract and contains the canonical signal sequences characteristic for transcriptional regulation of retroviruses. The provisional classitication of the spumaretrovirus subfamily is discussed.
DNA ofhuman spumaretrovirus (HSRV) was cloned from both cDNA and from viral DNA into phage A and bacterial plasmid vectors. The recombinant plasm.ids harboring viral DNA were characterized by Southern blot hybridization and restriction mapping. Physical maps were constructed from cDNA and found to be colinear with the restriction maps obtained from viral DNA. The recombinant clones isolated contained viral DNA inserts which rangein size from 2.2 kb to 15.4 kb. The recombinant clones allowed to construct a physical map of the complete HSRV provirus of 12.2 kb.
During molecular cloning of proviral DNA of human. spumaretroVirus, various recombinant clones were estabUshed and analyzed. Blot hybridization revealed that one of the recoinbinant plasmids bad the characteristic features of a member of the long interspersed repetitive sequences famlly. The DNA element was analyzed by restrictioil mapping and nuelootide sequencing. It showed a high degree of amino acid sequence homology of 54.3% when conipared with the 5'-terminal part of the pol gelie product of the murine retrotransposon LIMd. The 3' region of the cloned DNA element encodes proteins witb an even higher degree of homology of 67.4% in comparison to the corresponding parts of a member of the primate Kpnl sequence family.
Characterization of the env gene and of two novel coding regions of the human spumaretrovirus
(1988)
Recombinant clones harboring retroviral DNA were established. The nucleotide sequence of the central and 3' region of the genome of the human spumaretrovirus was determined. The 5' end of the deduced protein sequence was homologaus to the endonuclease domain of retroviral reverse transcriptases. A small intergenic region is followed by a lang open reading frame of 985 aminoacid residues that according to its genomic location and structural features is a typical retroviral env gene. Surprisingly, the postenv region contains two open reading frames that encodes two novel retroviral genes, termed bel-l and bel-2. The 3' LTR is 963 nucleotides lang and contains the signal sequences characteristic for transcriptional regulation of retrovirus genomes.
DNAs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 21 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), 1 patient with tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) as well as DNAs from brain and spinal cord of 5 MS cases and 3 controls were examined for human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-related sequences by polymerase chain reaction. The primers used were derived from the HTLV-1 gag, env and tax genes. Amplified products were separated on agarase gels, blotted onto nylon membranes and hybridized to specific radiolabelled oligonucleotides. The sensitivity of amplification and hybridization was one copy of target DNA in 10\8^5\) cellular genomes. None of the specimens was positive for HTLV-1 sequences except the TSP probe. These negative data are all the more significant because brain -material from MS patients was used in these studies. Our studies thus fail to support speculations that HTLV-I is involved in the aetiology of multiple sclerosis.
We have identified the major immunogenic structural proteins of the human foamy virus (HFV), a distinct member of the foamy virus subfamily of Retroviridae. Radiolabelied viral proteins were immunoprecipitated from HFV -infected cells by foamy virus antisera of human and non-human primate origin. Precipitated viral proteins were in the range of 31 K to 170K. Labelling of proteins with [\(^{14}\)C]glucosamine or with [\(^{35}\)S]methionine in the presence oftunicamycin, as well as endo-ß-N-acetylglycosaminidase Hand F treatment of [\(^{35}\)S]methionine-labelled proteins, revealed three viral glycoproteins of approximately 170K, 130K and 47K, most likely representing the env gene-encoded precursor, the surface glycoprotein and the transmembrane protein of HFV, respectively.
The long terminal repeat (LTR) of the human spumaretrovirus (HSRV) was examined with respect to its ability to function as transcriptional promotor in virus-infected and uninfected cells. Transient transfections using a plasmid in which the 3' L TR of HSRV was coupled to the bacterial chloramphenicol cetyltransferase (cat) gene revealed that the Ievei of HSRV LTR-directed cat gene expression was markedly increased in HSRV-infected cells compared to uninfected cells. Northern blot analysis of cat mRNA from transfected cultures suggests that transactivation of HSRVdirected gene expression occurs at the transcriptionallevel.
An infectious molecular clone (pHSRV) of the human Spumaretrovirus (HSRV) was constructed using viral DNA and cDNA clones. The infectivity of pHSRV was proven by transfection of cell cultures and subsequent infection of susceptible cultures with cell free transfection derlved virus. pHSRV derived virus produced foamy virus typical cytopathic effects in susceptible cultures. lnfected cells could be stained specifically with foamy virus antisera by means of indirect immunofluorescence. Radiolmmunoprecipltatlon revealed the presence of characteristic HSRV structural proteins in pHSRV infected cultures. By cotransfection of pHSRV and an indicator plasmid it was found that pHSRV is able to transactivate the viral L TR. Viral transcripts were found to be approximately 200 bases Ionger in pHSRV infected cultures compared to wildtype infected cultures. This difference is most likely due to an Insertion of DNA of non-viral origin ln the U3 region of the 3'L TR of the infectious clone.
To study the activation of HIV by human spumaretrovirus (HSRV) the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of HSRV, HIVl and HIV2 were examined with respect to their ability to function as transcriptional promoters in virus infected and uninfected cells. Transient transfections using plasmids in which the L TRs of the three viruses were coupled to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CA T) gene revealed (i) the level of cat gene expression directed by the HSRV LTR was markedly increased in HSRV infected cells compared to uninfected cells, (ii) cat gene expression driven by the HIV1 LTR, but not by the HIV2 LTR could be enhanced upon HSRV infection, whereas (iii) neither in HIV1 nor in HIV2 infected cells an effect on HSRV LTR driven cat geneexpression was detected.
The human foamy virus (HFV) genome possesses three open reading frames (bel I, 2, and 3) located between env and the 3' long terminal repeat. By analogy to other human retroviruses this region was selected as the most Iikely candidate to encode the viral transactivator. ResuIts presented here confirmed this and showed further that a deletion introduced only into the bell open reading frame of a plasmid derived from an infectious molecular clone of HFV abolished transactivation. In contrast, deletions in bel 2 and bel 3 had only minor effects on the ability to transactivate. The role of the bel I genomic region as a transactivator was further investigated by eukaryotic expression of a genome fragment of HFV spanning the bel I open reading frame. A construct expressing bell under control of a heterologous promoter was found to transactivate the HFV long terminal repeat in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, it is shown that the U3 region of the HFV long terminal repeat is sufficient to respond to the HFV transactivator.
Transcription factor AP-1 modulates the activity of the human foamy virus long terminal repeat
(1991)
The human foamy virus (HFV) contains within the UJ region of its long terminal repeat (L TR) three perfect consensus sequences for the binding of the inducible transcription factor AP-1. Results of DNase I footprint protection and gel retardation assays demonstrated that proteins in extracts of HeLa and BHK-21 cells as weil as bacterially expressed Jun and Fos proteins bind to these AP-1 sites. By conducting transient expression assays using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase plasmids carrying LTR sequences with point-mutated AP-1 sites it was found that the three AP-1 sites contribute to the optimal activity ofthe HFV promoter. It is shown that lnduction of the HFV L TR by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and serum factors is mediated through the AP-1 sites.
Progressive encephalopathy and myopathy in transgenic mice expressing human foamy virus genes
(1991)
Transgenie mice carrying the bel region of human foamy retrovirus (HFV) under transcriptional control of its own long terminal repeat expressed tbe transgene in their centrat nervous systems and in smootb and striated muscle tissues. The animals developed a progressive degenerative disease of tbe centrat nervous system and of the striated muscle. Because expression of tbe transgene was dosely correlated witb the appearance of structural damage and inflammatory reactions were scanty, the disease is likely to be caused directly by tbe HFV proteins. These unexpected findings call for a reevaluation of tbe patbogenic potential of HFV in humans.
Expression of human foamy virus is differentially regulated during development in transgenic mice
(1992)
Tbe human foamy virus (HFV) is a recently characterized member ofthe spumavirus family. Although no diseases have been unequivocally associated with HFV infection, expression of HFV regulatory genes in transgenie mice induces a characteristic aeute neuro degenerative disease and a myopathy. To better eharaeterize the sequenee of events leading to disease, and to gain a better understanding of the underlying pathogenetic meehanisms, we have analyzed in detail the transgene expression pattern during development. Transcription of a construet containing all regulatory elements and aneillary genes of mv was analyzed by in situ hybridization and was shown to occur in two distinct phases. At midgestation, low but widespread expression was first deteeted in eells of extraembryonie tissues. Later, various tissues originating from embryonie mesoderm, neuroeetoderm, and neural erest transeribed the transgene at moderate levels. However, expression deereased dramatically during late gestation and was suppressed shortly after birth. After a latency period of up to 5 weeks, transeription of the transgene resumed in single eelJs distributed irregularly in the central nervous system and in the skeletal museIe. By the age of 8 weeks, an increasing number of eells displayed much higher expression levels than in embryonie Iife and eventually underwent severe degenerative ehanges. These findings demonstrate that HFV transgene expression is differentially regulated in development and that HFV cytotoxicity may be dose-dependent. Such biphasic pattern of expression differs from that of murine retroviruses and may be explained by the specificity of HFV regulatory elements in combination with cellular faetors. Future studies of this model system should, therefore, provide novel insights in the mechanisms controlling retrovirallatency.
Aim: To examine peripheral blood and skeletal muscle from patients with chronic fadgue syndrome for exogenous retrovirus. Methods: Blood samples from 30 patients and muscle biopsy specimens of 15 patients were examined for retroviral sequences by DNA extraction, polymerase chain reacdon (PCR), and Southern blotting hybridisation. Sera were examined for human foamy virus by western immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. Results: No difference between the padent and control populations was found for any of the PCR primer sets used (gag, pol, env, and tax regions of HTLV VII). An endogenous gag band was observed in both the padent and control groups. All sera were negative for antibody to human foamy virus. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is no evidence of retroviral involvement in the chronic fatigue syndrome.
Humanfoamy virus (HFV) is a retrovirus encoding structural genes and, like human immunodeficiency virus and human T ceU leukemia virus I, several anciUary reading frames collectively termed the belgenes. We have previously shown that HFV transgenic mice develop an encephalopathy with neuronal loss in hippocampus and cerebral cortex. We have now raised and characterized rabbit antisera to various recombinant portions of gag, pot, env, and bel-I, the viraltransactivator. Immunoreactivity for gag and bel-I was observed in nuclei and processes of hippocampal and cortical neurons before the onset of morphological lesions and correlated with the appearance of HFV mRNA. Astrocyte-derived multinucleated giant ceUs containing HFV proteins were present in the brain oftransgenic mice coexpressingfuU- length HFV genes but not in mice expressing truncated gag and env, suggesting that these genes contain afusogenic domain. Expression of fuU-length structural genes decreased the life expectancy oftransgenic mice, implying an a4Juvant rolefor these proteins in HFV-induced brain damage. (Am] Pathol 1993, 142:1061-1072)
The human foamy virus (HFV) bel-l transactivator protein was expressed in insect cells by a recombinant baculovirus. For the generation of the recombinant baculovirus, Acbel-1, the bel-l gene of an HFV mutant was used, that bears truncations in the bel-l overlapping bel-2 open reading frame. Acbel-1 infected Sf9 cells produced high amounts of recombinant protein of the same electrophoretic mobility (36 kD) as bel-l expressed in mammalian cells. The baculovirus expressed bel-l proteinwas readily identified by a polyclonal rabbit serum directed against bel-1 in immunoblot assay. As in mammalian cells, bel-l was predominantly localized to the nucleus of Acbel-1 infected insect cells. The baculovirus expressed bel-1 proteinwill be of use to determine the action of this novel viral transactivator more precisely.