Studies of the mechanism of spontaneous germline ecotropic provirus acquisition in mice

• Published in: The EMBO journal Vol. 7; no. 13; pp. 4169 - 4177
• Main Authors: Lock, L. F., Keshet, E., Gilbert, D. J., Jenkins, N. A., Copeland, N. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group 20.12.1988
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Crosses, Genetic; DNA, Viral - genetics; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Leukemia Virus, Murine - genetics; Leukemia Virus, Murine - isolation & purification; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains - genetics; Mice, Inbred Strains - microbiology; Microbiology; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Oocytes - microbiology; Ovary - anatomy & histology; Ovary - microbiology; Ovary - transplantation; Pregnancy; Proviruses - genetics; Proviruses - isolation & purification; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; Virology; Oncovirinae; Rodentia; Retroviridae; Hybrid; Strain; Infection; Virus; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mutagenesis; Mouse; Oncogenic virus; Type C oncovirus; Germ line; Viral disease; Murine leukemia virus; Oocyte
• ISSN: 0261-4189; 1460-2075
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03313.x

SWR/J–RF/J hybrid mice spontaneously acquire new germline ecotropic proviruses at high frequency. We have performed ovarian transplantation and in situ hybridization studies to delineate the mechanism and developmental stage of germline provirus acquisition. In addition, we have developed a novel, efficient and simple method to introduce single copy proviruses into the mouse germline. The results reported here have direct implications for understanding how proviruses are acquired in the germline, for using murine leukemia viruses as insertional mutagens, and for using retroviral vectors to introduce foreign genes into the mouse germline.