This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mertz, J. A.
Right arrow Articles by Dudley, J. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mertz, J. A.
Right arrow Articles by Dudley, J. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, December 2005, p. 14737-14747, Vol. 79, No. 23
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.23.14737-14747.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Encodes a Self-Regulatory RNA Export Protein and Is a Complex Retrovirus

Jennifer A. Mertz,{dagger} Melissa S. Simper,{dagger},{ddagger} Mary M. Lozano, Shelley M. Payne, and Jaquelin P. Dudley*

Section of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712

Received 28 July 2005/ Accepted 12 September 2005

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) has been classified as a simple retrovirus with two accessory genes, dut and sag. Cloned MMTV proviruses carrying a trimethoprim (trim) cassette in the envelope gene were defective for Gag protein production and the nuclear export of unspliced gag-pol RNA. Complementation experiments indicated that a trans-acting product was responsible for the Gag defect of such mutants. Analysis of MMTV-infected cells revealed the presence of a novel, doubly spliced RNA that encodes a putative product of 301 amino acids. Overexpression of cDNA from this RNA increased Gag levels from env mutant proviruses or reporter gene expression from unspliced mRNAs and allowed detection of a 33-kDa protein product, which has been named regulator of export of MMTV mRNA, or Rem. The Rem N terminus has motifs similar to the Rev-like export proteins of complex retroviruses, and mutation of the nuclear localization signal (NLS) abolished RNA export and detection within the nucleus. The Rem C terminus has few identifiable features, but removal of this domain increased Rem-mediated export, suggesting an autoregulatory function. A reporter vector developed from the 3' end of the MMTV provirus was Rem responsive and required both the presence of the MMTV env-U3 junction and a functional Crm1 pathway. The identification of a third accessory protein from a doubly spliced transcript suggests that MMTV is the first murine complex retrovirus to be documented. Manipulation of the MMTV genome may provide mouse models for human retroviral diseases, such as AIDS.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: The University of Texas at Austin, Section of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, One University Station, A5000, Austin, TX 78712-0162. Phone: (512) 471-8415. Fax: (512) 471-7088. E-mail: jdudley{at}uts.cc.utexas.edu.

{dagger} J.A.M. and M.S.S. contributed equally to this work.

{ddagger} Present address: University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at Science Park, Smithville, TX 78957.


Journal of Virology, December 2005, p. 14737-14747, Vol. 79, No. 23
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.23.14737-14747.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Nitta, T., Hofacre, A., Hull, S., Fan, H. (2009). Identification and Mutational Analysis of a Rej Response Element in Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus RNA. J. Virol. 83: 12499-12511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hofacre, A., Nitta, T., Fan, H. (2009). Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus Encodes a Regulatory Factor, Rej, Required for Synthesis of Gag Protein. J. Virol. 83: 12483-12498 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vallejos, M., Ramdohr, P., Valiente-Echeverria, F., Tapia, K., Rodriguez, F. E., Lowy, F., Huidobro-Toro, J. P., Dangerfield, J. A., Lopez-Lastra, M. (2009). The 5'-untranslated region of the mouse mammary tumor virus mRNA exhibits cap-independent translation initiation. Nucleic Acids Res 0: gkp890v1-gkp890 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mertz, J. A., Chadee, A. B., Byun, H., Russell, R., Dudley, J. P. (2009). Mapping of the Functional Boundaries and Secondary Structure of the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Rem-responsive Element. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 25642-25652 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Caporale, M., Arnaud, F., Mura, M., Golder, M., Murgia, C., Palmarini, M. (2009). The Signal Peptide of a Simple Retrovirus Envelope Functions as a Posttranscriptional Regulator of Viral Gene Expression. J. Virol. 83: 4591-4604 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mullner, M., Salmons, B., Gunzburg, W. H., Indik, S. (2008). Identification of the Rem-responsive element of mouse mammary tumor virus. Nucleic Acids Res 36: 6284-6294 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dultz, E., Hildenbeutel, M., Martoglio, B., Hochman, J., Dobberstein, B., Kapp, K. (2008). The Signal Peptide of the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Rem Protein Is Released from the Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane and Accumulates in Nucleoli. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 9966-9976 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Voisset, C., Weiss, R. A., Griffiths, D. J. (2008). Human RNA "Rumor" Viruses: the Search for Novel Human Retroviruses in Chronic Disease. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 72: 157-196 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Okeoma, C. M., Shen, M., Ross, S. R. (2008). A Novel Block to Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Infection of Lymphocytes in B10.BR Mice. J. Virol. 82: 1314-1322 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mertz, J. A., Kobayashi, R., Dudley, J. P. (2007). ALY Is a Common Coactivator of RUNX1 and c-Myb on the Type B Leukemogenic Virus Enhancer. J. Virol. 81: 3503-3513 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Caporale, M., Cousens, C., Centorame, P., Pinoni, C., De las Heras, M., Palmarini, M. (2006). Expression of the jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus envelope glycoprotein is sufficient to induce lung tumors in sheep.. J. Virol. 80: 8030-8037 [Abstract] [Full Text]