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. 1998 Dec;72(12):9986-91.
doi: 10.1128/JVI.72.12.9986-9991.1998.

Host range and interference studies of three classes of pig endogenous retrovirus

Y Takeuchi  1 , C Patience, S Magre, R A Weiss, P T Banerjee, P Le Tissier, J P Stoye
Affiliations

Host range and interference studies of three classes of pig endogenous retrovirus

Y Takeuchi et al. J Virol. 1998 Dec.

Abstract

Recent interest in the use of porcine organs, tissues, and cells for xenotransplantation to humans has highlighted the need to characterize the properties of pig endogenous retroviruses (PERVs). Analysis of a variety of pig cells allowed us to isolate and identify three classes of infectious type C endogenous retrovirus (PERV-A, PERV-B, and PERV-C) which have distinct env genes but have highly homologous sequences in the rest of the genome. To study the properties of these env genes, expression plasmids for the three env genes were constructed and used to generate retrovirus vectors bearing corresponding Env proteins. Host range analyses by the vector transduction assay showed that PERV-A and PERV-B Envs have wider host ranges, including several human cell lines, compared with PERV-C Env, which infected only two pig cell lines and one human cell line. All PERVs could infect pig cells, indicating that the PERVs have a potential to replicate in pig transplants in immunosuppressed patients. Receptors for PERV-A and PERV-B were present on cells of some other species, including mink, rat, mouse, and dog, suggesting that such species may provide useful model systems to study infection and pathogenicity of PERV. In contrast, no vector transduction was observed on nonhuman primate cell lines, casting doubt on the utility of nonhuman primates as models for PERV zoonosis. Interference studies showed that the three PERV strains use receptors distinct from each other and from a number of other type C mammalian retroviruses.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Transmission of RT activity and PERV RNA expression. Cell supernatant was assayed for RT activity by a PCR-based method (gel A). RNA expression for PERV-A, PERV-B, and PERV-C was examined by RT-PCR (gels B, C, and D). ST-IOWA/MPK, ST-IOWA cells after cocultivation with MPK cells; ST-IOWA/PAE, ST-IOWA cells after cocultivation with PAE cells; 293/PK15, 293 cells infected with PK15 viral supernatant; 293/PAE, 293 cells after cocultivation with PAE cells.
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