Radiation leukemia virus-induced thymic lymphomas express a restricted repertoire of T-cell receptor V beta gene products.

We have investigated the phenotypic changes that take place during the process of neoplastic transformation in the thymocytes of C57BL/Ka mice infected by the radiation leukemia virus (RadLV). By the combined use of antibodies against the envelope glycoprotein gp70 of RadLV, the transformation-associated cell surface marker 1C11, and the CD3-T-cell receptor (TCR) complex, we found that in the RadLV-infected thymus, the earliest expression of viral gp70 is in 1C11hi cells; a small but significant percentage of these cells also express CD3. A first wave of viral replication, manifested by the expression of high levels of gp70 in thymocytes (over 70% positive), reaches a peak at 2 weeks; during this period, no significant changes are observed in the expression of 1C11 or CD3. The population of gp70+ cells is drastically reduced at 3 to 4 weeks after infection. However, a second cohort of gp70+ cells appears after 4 weeks, and these cells express high levels of 1C11 and TCR determinants as well. RadLV-induced lymphomas differ from normal thymocytes in their CD4 CD8 phenotype, with domination by one or more subsets. Characterization of TCR gene rearrangements in RadLV-induced lymphomas shows that most of these tumors are clonal or oligoclonal with respect to the J beta 2 TCR gene, while the J beta 1 TCR gene is rearranged in a minority (4 of 11) of lymphomas. TCR V beta repertoire analysis of 12 tumors reveals that 6 (50%) express exclusively the V beta 6 gene product, 2 (17%) are V beta 5+, and 1 (8%) each are V beta 8+ and V beta 9+. In normal C57BL/Ka mice, V beta 6 is expressed on 12%, V beta 5 is expressed on 9%, V beta 8 is expressed on 22%, and V beta 9 is expressed on 4% of TCRhi thymocytes. Thus, it appears that RadLV-induced thymic lymphomas are not randomly selected with respect to expressed TCR V beta type.

Determinants of thymotropism in Kaplan radiation leukemia virus and nucleotide sequence of its envelope region.

Radiation leukemia viruses (RadLVs) are a group of murine leukemia viruses which are induced by radiation and cause T-cell leukemia. Viral clones isolated from the BL/VL3 lymphoid cell line derived from a thymoma show variable tropism and leukemogenic potential. We have constructed chimeric viruses by in vitro recombination between two viruses, a RadLV that is thymotropic and an endogenous ecotropic virus that is nonthymotropic. We show here that, in contrast to thymotropism determinants identified previously, which lie in the long terminal repeat (LTR), it is the envelope region that is responsible for the thymotropism of BL/VL3 RadLV. The nonthymotropic virus which we have rendered thymotropic by transfer of the env region of RadLV in the present study has been shown previously to become thymotropic when the LTR of another thymotropic virus is inserted in its genome. Thus, the LTR and envelope gene may be involved in complementary action to lead to thymotropism.

In vivo stimulation of H-2Dd expression following RadLV infection of thymocytes: increased transcription and DNA-binding activity to sequences 5' of the Dd gene.

Early studies showed that resistance to RadLV-induced leukaemia is mediated by gene(s) in the H-2D region of the MHC. Furthermore, these experiments correlated disease resistance with changes in H-2 expression occurring very early after virus inoculation. In the present study, we have begun to study at the molecular level this stimulation of H-2Dd class I expression in thymocytes of resistant mouse strains following infection by RadLV. The resistant strain of B10.T(6R) mice is used in these studies. When these infected thymocytes are assayed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, we can detect increased levels of H-2Dd expression on the surface of the thymocytes as early as 12 days following intrathymic injection of RadLV. RNA was prepared and examined by Northern blot analysis; H-2 mRNA levels are shown to be elevated on the order of four-fold. Nuclei were prepared from normal and infected thymocytes and the run-off transcripts were analysed by slot-blot hybridization. The rate of H-2 mRNA transcription is shown to be two- to three-fold higher in RadLV-infected thymocytes at 14 days post-infection when compared to that of normal thymocytes. These data demonstrate that elevation of H-2 surface expression following RadLV infection is the result of transcriptional activation. Extracts have been prepared from both normal and infected B10.T(6R) thymocytes and have been used in gel mobility assays in order to detect the interaction of potential trans-acting regulatory factors with sequences 5' of the H-2Dd gene. Specific binding occurs in both extracts, but the assay shows that the extracts differ both quantitatively and qualitatively; the extracts from infected thymocytes bind to additional sequences and to a higher degree than that from normal thymocytes. DNase I protection analysis locates a number of protein-binding sites, some of which are protected by extracts of either origin and some of which are only protected by extracts from infected cells. Two of these sequences are similar to the previously recognized consensus recognition sequences for the binding of AP-1 and NF-chi B. Oligonucleotides have been synthesized for both the genomic sequences being protected from DNase I digestion as well the published consensus sequences. While the DNA-binding activity in infected thymocytes for both AP-1 and NF-chi B-binding sites is increased, the binding to the genomic "AP-1 like" binding site is activated to a considerably greater level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)