Structural Proteins of Mammalian Oncogenic RNA Viruses: Immunological Characterization of the p15 Polypeptide of Rauscher Murine Virus

Abstract

The immunological properties of the purified 15,000-dalton protein of Rauscher murine type-C virus were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The majority of the antigenic determinants of this protein were found to be remarkably specific to Rauscher and Friend virus and to a lesser extent to Molonev virus. Determinants reactive with other murine viruses (group-specific) or type-C viruses of other species (interspecies) were also demonstrated but were minor components of the total antigenic specificities of the protein. The results provide evidence that the antigenic properties of this protein specify the Friend-Moloney-Rauscher subgroup of type-C viruses.

Wild mouse RNA tumor viruses. A nongenetically transmitted virus group closely related to exogenous leukemia viruses of laboratory mouse strains.

“…A group of early type-C virus isolates, Friend-, Rauscher-, and Moloney-MuLV, form a subgroup of closely related laboratory strains (31,32,(41)(42)(43). These viruses, like the wild mouse viruses studied here, lack complete representation of their genomes within mouse cellular DNA (44,45).…”

Immunochemical characterization of tumor‐associated surface antigens on a moloney leukemia virus‐lymphoma, MBL‐2

“…(1974) showed that F M R antigen recognized on Friend leukemia cells by cytotoxic antibodies from Friend virus-infected mice was inhibited by disrupted virus but not by intact virus. The antiserum was furthermore shown to be inhibited by p15 but not by gp69/71 or p30 (all prepared from R-MuLV) (Strand et a/., 1974). A study by Rogers et a/.…”

RNA Tumor Virus Antigens

“…The protein appears to be hydrophobic; in the absence of detergents or other denaturing agents it readily aggregates. Immunochemical analyses showed that the immunodominant antigenic determinants of this protein are also typespecific (26,68). Group and interspecies determinants are less potent, or may be silent, probably depending on the host and immunization conditions.…”

“…Antigenically, p l 5 is distinct from other viral structural proteins (7, 26, 57, 6 8 ) , and in some viruses it is phosphorylated (53). On the basis of antigenic properties, it has been suggested that p l 5 may specify the Friend-Moloney-Rauscher subgroup of murine type-C viruses (68).…”