Molecular Biological Characterization of a Highly Leukaemogenic Virus Isolated from the Mouse. III. Identity with Mouse Mammary Tumour Virus

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Abstract
A highly leukemogenic virus isolate (DMBA-LV) endogenous to the CFW/D mouse has been found to contain 2 viral genomes. One was closely related to the type B milk-borne mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and present in 10-fold excess over a type C viral genome which was only partially related to xenotropic and polytropic isolates from the CFW/D mouse as well as to the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus isolate. The thymic lymphoma cell line that produced DMBA-LV expressed high levels of MMTV viral RNA (35S and the 24S envelope mRNA). Both the virus and the virus-producing cell line expressed multiple species of type C viral RNA. Similar species of type C viral RNA were also associated with noninfectious, nonleukemogenic viral particles present in both normal lymphoid cells and in a MMTV-free thymic lymphoma cell line established from a second chemical carcinogen-induced tumor.