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Journal of Virology, March 2003, p. 2850-2858, Vol. 77, No. 5
0022-538X/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.77.5.2850-2858.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109,1 Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195,2 Basic Research Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc.,3 Laboratory of Immunobiology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 217024
Received 10 September 2002/ Accepted 25 November 2002
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Recently we and others have demonstrated that the Env proteins from both JSRV (11, 19) and ENTV (1, 5), but not other viral proteins, can transform mouse and rat fibroblasts in culture and thus are likely to be responsible for oncogenesis in animals. Site-directed mutagenesis has shown that a YXXM motif present in the cytoplasmic tails of the JSRV and ENTV Env proteins, a consensus binding site for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) after tyrosine phosphorylation of the motif, is critical for transformation of rodent fibroblasts by these proteins (1, 16). Furthermore, Akt, a downstream mediator of PI3K signaling, is activated in JSRV and ENTV Env-transformed cells, and this activation is reversed by treatment with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, indicating that activation is PI3K dependent (1). These results suggest that JSRV and ENTV Env proteins transform rodent fibroblasts by activating the PI3K pathway. However, a recent study shows that the YXXM motif is not required for JSRV transformation of DF-1 chicken fibroblasts (2), suggesting that more than one mechanism may be involved in Env-mediated transformation.
Given the role of the Env protein in oncogenic transformation, we hypothesized that the cellular receptor that binds Env and mediates retrovirus entry might play a role in virus transformation. To identify the receptor, we constructed retroviral vectors using Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) gag and pol, a MoMLV-based retroviral vector encoding marker proteins, and the Env protein from JSRV. This JSRV vector was able to transduce human cells but not hamster cells, and by screening hamster cells carrying different assortments of human DNA fragments, Hyal2 was identified as the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell surface protein required for JSRV vector entry into cells (19). Subsequently it was shown that Hyal2 is also required for ENTV Env-mediated vector entry into cells (1, 5). Interestingly, Hyal2 is located in a region of human chromosome 3p21.3 that is frequently deleted in human lung and breast cancer and is thought to harbor one or more tumor suppressor genes (10). This association led us to hypothesize that Hyal2 is a tumor suppressor and that Env binding to Hyal2 inhibits this function, resulting in oncogenic transformation. However, neither mouse nor rat cells are transduced by MoMLV-based retroviral vectors bearing JSRV or ENTV Env proteins, indicating that mouse and rat Hyal2 cannot bind the viral Env proteins and thus would be unlikely participants in Env-mediated viral oncogenesis.
Here we show that human Hyal2 can indeed suppress transformation by JSRV and ENTV Env proteins. To see if Env and Hyal2 interact directly, we constructed a hybrid JSRV Env surface (SU) domain-human immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc fragment fusion protein, and we show that the JSRV SU binds to human Hyal2 expressed on cells. To examine the properties of the Hyal2 proteins expressed by the NIH 3T3 mouse and 208F rat cells used in the assays for Env transformation, we cloned the Hyal2 cDNAs from both cell types. Surprisingly, overexpressed rat Hyal2 can mediate JSRV vector entry, can bind the JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein, and can suppress transformation by JSRV and ENTV Env proteins. However, the mouse protein exhibits none of these activities. Thus, it is unlikely that mouse Hyal2 plays any direct role in transformation by the JSRV and ENTV Env proteins in mouse cells. We show by immunofluorescence analysis that expression of human Hyal2 in mouse cells expressing JSRV Env protein causes a reduction in Env protein levels, and we conclude that this mechanism explains the tumor suppressor activity of human and rat Hyal2 in cells transformed by the JSRV or ENTV Env proteins.
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Cloning of mouse and rat Hyal2 cDNAs and corresponding genomic regions. Hyal2 cDNAs were obtained by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) using the SuperScript One-Step RT-PCR System with Platinum Taq (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.). The mouse Hyal2 cDNA was generated from total RNA isolated from NIH 3T3 mouse cells with forward primer 5' AGC TGC TAC CAG GCA GGT AAC and reverse primer 5' TGG GAG CAC TGC CTA CTC CAG. Rat Hyal2 cDNA was generated from total RNA isolated from 208F rat cells with forward primer 5' TGC GAG TTC CTG AGC TGC TAC and reverse primer 5' GCC AGC TGG ACT GCT ATC TGC. RT-PCR products were cloned into the mammalian expression vector pCR3.1 (Invitrogen). The genomic regions corresponding to the mouse Hyal2 and rat Hyal2 cDNAs were also amplified from NIH 3T3 mouse cell or 208F rat cell genomic DNA with the cDNA primer sets described above. Genomic PCR products were subcloned into the TOPO TA vector (Invitrogen).
Plasmid expression vectors. Plasmids used to express JSRV Env (pSX2.Jenv [18]), ENTV Env (pSX2.Eenv [5]), and 10A1-MLV Env (pSX2 [12]) contain the respective Env coding regions cloned into the pSX2 expression vector, which employs a MoMLV promoter and enhancers, splice signals, and the early polyadenylation signal from simian virus 40 to drive transcription. A FLAG-tagged version of the JSRV Env protein was made by adding a sequence encoding a FLAG tag (DYKDDDDK) at the 3' end of the Env coding region in the JSRV Env expression vector. The pFBJ/R plasmid, which expresses a highly active Fos oncoprotein (14), was used as a positive control for transformation.
A JSRV SU domain-human IgG Fc fragment (JSRV SU-IgG) fusion protein expression construct was generated by cloning the JSRV SU coding region into a vector designed for expression of an amphotropic MLV SU-human IgG Fc fusion protein (8) in place of the amphotropic SU. To avoid possible cleavage by host proteases, the last 7 amino acids of JSRV SU (ALSRPKR) were deleted in this construct. Fusion protein expression in this construct is driven by a human cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter/enhancer.
Retrovirus vectors. The LAPSN vector (15) expresses human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP) from the retroviral long terminal repeat (LTR) and neomycin phosphotransferase (Neo) from an internal simian virus 40 early promoter. Retrovirus vectors that express Hyal1 and Hyal2 cDNAs from different species were made by cloning the cDNAs into the LXSN retroviral vector (13). Stable vector-producing cell lines were generated as described previously (13), by transfection of the plasmids into PE501 ecotropic packaging cells, harvest of virus, transduction of PT67 10A1-MLV pseudotype packaging cells (12), and isolation of transduced clones in G418. The clones that produced the highest titer of unrearranged vector were identified and used, and in the case of the mouse and rat Hyal2 vector-producing cells, the Hyal2 inserts were sequenced following amplification by PCR to confirm the absence of mutations. To harvest vectors, the culture medium was incubated with vector-producing packaging cells for 12 to 16 h; then the medium was filtered to remove cells and frozen at -70°C until use.
Transformation assays. Plasmids were assayed for transforming activity by transfection of NIH 3T3 cells using a standard calcium phosphate transfection procedure (13) or by transfection of 208F cells using a modified calcium phosphate transfection procedure (3). These methods gave the highest transfection efficiencies for the two cell types. For the assay, cells were seeded at 5 x 105 per 6-cm dish and were transfected the next day with 10 µg of the test plasmid plus 1 µg of a plasmid encoding AP (pLAPSN). One day after transfection, the cells were trypsinized, divided 1:5 into 6-cm dishes, and fed every 3 to 4 days thereafter. After reaching confluence, the NIH 3T3 cells were fed with DMEM plus 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and the 208F cells were fed with the same medium plus 1 µM dexamethasone. About 2 weeks after transfection, the transformed foci were counted, the cells were fixed and stained for AP, and AP+ foci were counted as a measure of transfection efficiency.
Production and purification of the JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein. The JSRV SU-IgG construct described above was transfected by calcium phosphate coprecipitation (3) into 293T cells. Cells were fed with low-IgG serum (Life Technologies, Rockville, Md.) 1 day after transfection, and the medium was harvested 48 to 72 h posttransfection and filtered through 0.45-µm-pore-size filters. For binding studies, either this medium was used directly or the JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography using protein A columns and was concentrated by using Ultrafree Biomax-50K centrifugal filter devices (Millipore Inc., Bedford, Mass.). JSRV SU-IgG was detected by denaturing polyacrylamide gel separation followed by immunoblot analysis, and the concentration was determined by comparison of the JSRV SU-IgG band with albumin protein standards following Coomassie blue staining.
In vitro binding assay, flow cytometry, and Scatchard analysis. Binding between Hyal2 orthologs and the JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein was performed by using a protocol similar to that of Kurre et al. (8). Briefly, cells were resuspended by treatment with 5 mM EDTA in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (without calcium and magnesium) and were washed three times with PBS (with calcium and magnesium) containing 2% FBS. Next, 5 x 105 cells were incubated with the purified or unpurified JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein on ice for 3.5 h, washed three times, and incubated with a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated rabbit antibody against human IgG Fc (DAKO Inc., Glostrup, Denmark) on ice for 45 to 60 min. Cells were washed twice, resuspended in PBS containing 2% FBS and 2 µg of propidium iodide/ml, and analyzed by use of a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS; Becton Dickinson, San Jose, Calif.).
For Scatchard analysis, the free JSRV SU-IgG was estimated to be equal to the total JSRV SU-IgG molecules added, assuming that only a small percentage binds to cells (which we confirmed experimentally; see Results) and assuming that all added protein was active. Bound JSRV SU-IgG was measured by FACS, and a conversion factor relating FACS fluorescence per cell to the number of JSRV SU-IgG molecules bound per cell was determined as follows. The fluorescence of a known amount of an FITC-conjugated secondary antibody was measured in a spectrofluorometer to calculate the fluorescence per molecule of antibody. The fluorescence of a known number of cells incubated with JSRV SU-IgG and the secondary antibody (cells were washed before and after antibody incubation) was measured in the spectrofluorometer to determine the number of JSRV SU-IgG molecules bound per cell, assuming a one-to-one interaction between the JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein and the secondary antibody. The same cells were analyzed by FACS to provide a conversion factor relating FACS fluorescence to molecules bound per cell.
Env immunostaining. NIH 3T3 cells transformed by pSX2.Jenv-FLAG were transduced by human Hyal2, human Hyal1, rat Hyal2, mouse Hyal2, or the LAPSN vector on day 1 and were trypsinized and seeded at varying ratios onto coverslips in 12-well plates in the presence of G418 (750 µg/ml; active concentration) on day 2. After 7 to 10 days of G418 selection, the expression level of JSRV Env in the cells was examined by immunostaining. Briefly, cells were fixed by 3.7% formaldehyde for 10 min, washed three times with PBS, permeabilized with 0.5% Triton X-100 for 5 min, washed twice, and blocked with 20% normal goat serum for 30 min at room temperature. Cells were then incubated with a mouse monoclonal anti-FLAG antibody (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) for 1 h at room temperature, washed three times with PBS containing 1 mM glycine, and then incubated with an FITC-conjugated goat anti-mouse antibody (Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, N.Y.) at room temperature for 1 h. Cells were washed three times, mounted, and examined using a DeltaVision microscope (Applied Precision, Issaquah, Wash.).
Nucleotide sequence accession numbers. The consensus cDNA sequences of mouse Hyal2 and rat Hyal2 have been deposited in GenBank with accession numbers AF535140 and AF535141, respectively.
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TABLE 1. JSRV and ENTV Env proteins transform cultured rodent fibroblastsa
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TABLE 2. JSRV vector transduction of NIH 3T3 mouse cells and 208F rat cells with and without expression of Hyal2
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TABLE 3. Transformation by JSRV or ENTV Env protein of cells with and without human Hyal2 expressiona
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FIG. 1. Human Hyal2 can reverse the transformed phenotype induced by JSRV Env in NIH 3T3 cells. NIH 3T3 cells transformed by JSRV Env protein were exposed to LXSN-based retroviral vectors encoding human Hyal1, human Hyal2, or alkaline phosphatase, or to no vector, and were selected in a medium containing G418 starting 1 day after vector exposure. Pictures were taken after 5 days of selection, when untransduced control cells were all dead.
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To address these possibilities, we isolated Hyal2 cDNA and genomic clones from the NIH 3T3 and 208F cells used in the transformation assays so that we could examine the properties of the Hyal2 proteins made by these cells. Small sequence variations were observed in cDNA and genomic clones from the cells. To determine if the variation was due to PCR error or heterozygosity, we sequenced multiple cDNA and genomic clones. Six mouse Hyal2 cDNA clones were completely sequenced, and the sequences of four clones were identical to the exonic regions of two of five mouse genomic sequences. Four rat Hyal2 cDNA clones were completely sequenced, and the sequences of three clones were identical to the exonic regions of two of four rat genomic sequences. The two mouse Hyal2 cDNA clones that were different from the majority of the clones contained single base changes in different positions (resulting in E195K or S383G amino acid changes). The rat Hyal2 cDNA clone that was different from the majority of the clones also contained a single base change (resulting in a W440-to-stop-codon amino acid change). Genomic clones that were different from the majority of the clones contained single base changes in different positions in all three mouse Hyal2 clones (S105G, H280R, or S392R), and in two rat Hyal2 clones (L431P or D169G). None of the minor cDNA clones was identical to any of the minor genomic clones. Thus, only one consensus sequence was found for either mouse Hyal2 or rat Hyal2, indicating that these genes are homozygous in the NIH 3T3 and 208F cell lines. Minor sequence differences observed are best explained as PCR errors. The sequence of the protein encoded by the NIH 3T3 (Swiss mouse) cDNA (AF535140) exactly matches previously determined sequences for mouse Hyal2 from C3H mice (AF302843 and AF422177) and differs by one conservative amino acid change from that of Czech II mice (AF302844). The sequence of the protein encoded by the 208F (Fischer rat) cDNA (AF535141) differs at four residues from that encoded by a previously sequenced Rattus norvegicus cDNA (AF034218).
To transfer the Hyal2 cDNAs to cells, we cloned each cDNA into the LXSN retroviral vector and generated vector-producing cells by transfection of ecotropic packaging cells followed by transduction of PT67 10A1-MLV-based packaging cells with the transiently produced virus. Approximately 15 G418-resistant clones of PT67 cells were isolated for each vector, and three of the highest-titer vector producers for each cDNA were identified. All of these were tested in the following experiments, instead of just one clone for each cDNA, to rule out artifacts due to the possibility that mutations might have been introduced into the vectors by reverse transcriptase during the transduction of individual vector-producing packaging cell lines. Given that reverse transcription errors occur at
1 in 10,000 bases per retrovirus replication cycle, it is very unlikely that errors that might change the phenotype of the vectors would be present in three independent packaging cell clones.
Properties of mouse and rat Hyal2 in comparison to human Hyal2. Overexpression of the NIH 3T3 mouse Hyal2 cDNA in NIH 3T3 and 208F cells did not confer susceptibility to JSRV or ENTV vector transduction, while expression of the human Hyal2 cDNA resulted in efficient JSRV vector transduction (Table 4). This result is consistent with the fact that NIH 3T3 cells are poorly transduced with the JSRV vector. In contrast, overexpression of the 208F rat Hyal2 cDNA in NIH 3T3 and 208F cells did confer susceptibility to JSRV vector transduction at levels similar to those of the human Hyal2 cDNA (Table 4). Thus, the 208F rat Hyal2 protein is capable of serving as an efficient receptor for JSRV Env-mediated virus entry. The ENTV vector was able to transduce only sheep cells and NIH 3T3 cells expressing human Hyal2, showing that ENTV does not utilize mouse or rat Hyal2 as a receptor for cell entry. As expected, human Hyal1 showed no receptor activity.
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TABLE 4. Receptor activity of Hyal2 proteins from different species in mouse and rat cellsa
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FIG. 2. Flow cytometric analysis of JSRV SU-IgG binding to cells expressing Hyal2 orthologs. Cells transduced by retroviral vectors expressing rat, mouse, or human Hyal2 or human Hyal1 or by the empty retroviral vector LXSN were incubated with the JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein (1 ml of unpurified culture medium containing 30 ng of fusion protein for NIH 3T3 cells or 0.1 ml of PBS containing 60 ng of purified fusion protein and 2% FBS for 208F cells) on ice for 3.5 h. The cells were washed, incubated with an FITC-conjugated rabbit anti-human Fc antibody, washed again, and analyzed by flow cytometry. Histograms for cells expressing human Hyal1 were virtually identical to those for cells expressing the empty vector LXSN and are not shown in order to simplify the figure. Results shown are representative of multiple experiments.
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Further analysis of binding with variable amounts of fusion protein (Fig. 3) showed specific binding of the fusion protein to human Hyal2 with a Kd of 9 ± 6 nM and to rat Hyal2 with a Kd of 23 ± 12 nM when the proteins were expressed on 208F rat cells (means of two experiments). The numbers of Hyal2 receptors per cells were estimated to be 46,000 ± 8,000 for human Hyal2 and 14,000 ± 2,000 for rat Hyal2 (means of two experiments), assuming that SU-IgG molecules bind to receptors in a 1:1 ratio.
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FIG. 3. Scatchard analysis of JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein binding to Hyal2 orthologs. (A) 208F cells transduced by vectors encoding rat Hyal2, mouse Hyal2, or human Hyal2 or by the empty retroviral vector LXSN were incubated with increasing amounts of purified JSRV SU-IgG fusion protein, washed, incubated with an FITC-conjugated rabbit anti-human antibody, washed again, and analyzed by flow cytometry. The geometric means (log10) of fluorescence (y axis) were plotted against the concentration of fusion protein used (x axis). The experiment was repeated once with similar results. (B) Scatchard analysis of JSRV SU-IgG binding to 208F cells expressing rat or human Hyal2. The bound/free ratio is plotted against the geometric means of bound fluorescence measured by flow cytometric analysis and expressed as the number of bound JSRV SU-IgG molecules per cell. Results are from a representative experiment.
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Mouse Hyal2 is unable to suppress transformation by JSRV or ENTV Env proteins. The results above show that mouse Hyal2 from NIH 3T3 cells does not mediate JSRV or ENTV vector entry and does not appreciably bind the SU domain of JSRV; thus, a model for Env transformation involving Env binding to and inhibition of the tumor suppressor activity of mouse Hyal2 seems unlikely. As a final test of this model, we asked whether mouse Hyal2 could suppress transformation by Env proteins. 208F cells expressing mouse, rat, or human Hyal2, human Hyal1, or the empty vector LXSN were transfected with the JSRV or ENTV Env or Fos expression plasmids, and transformed foci were quantitated (Fig. 4). Expression of human and, to a lesser extent, rat Hyal2 significantly suppressed transformation by the JSRV and ENTV Env proteins but had no effect on Fos transformation. Mouse Hyal2 expression had no effect on transformation by any of the proteins.
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FIG. 4. 208F cell transformation by JSRV and ENTV Env proteins is suppressed by human Hyal2 and rat Hyal2 but not by mouse Hyal2. 208F cells were transduced by LXSN-based retroviral vectors encoding rat Hyal2 (rHyal2), mouse Hyal2 (mHyal2), human Hyal2 (hHyal2), or human Hyal1 (hHyal1) or by an empty LXSN vector (none) and were selected for the presence of the vectors in G418. The transduced cells were then cotransfected with 10 µg of plasmid DNA encoding JSRV Env (pSX2.Jenv), ENTV Env (pSX2.Eenv), a Fos oncoprotein (pFBJ/R), or 10A1 MLV Env (pSX2) plus 1 µg of plasmid pLAPSN, which expresses AP. Transformed foci were counted approximately 2 weeks posttransfection, and the cells were fixed and stained for AP. Results are presented as the ratios of transformed foci to AP+ foci and are means from two independent experiments. In this experiment, the numbers of foci induced by pSX2.Jenv, pSX2.Eenv, and pFBJ/R in 208F/LXSN cells were similar and the means ranged from 120 to 160 foci per µg of plasmid DNA. Asterisks indicate values statistically different from those obtained by using cells expressing the control vector LXSN (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01).
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TABLE 5. Reversion of JSRV/ENTV Env transformation following expression of Hyal2 proteins from different speciesa
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FIG. 5. Hyal2 expression reduces JSRV Env protein levels. NIH 3T3 cells transformed by pSX2-Jenv-FLAG were transduced with retroviral vectors encoding human Hyal2 or AP. After 10 days of selection in G418, these cells and untreated NIH 3T3 cells were immunostained using anti-FLAG antibodies. The same conditions of illumination and photography were used for all panels.
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The findings that (i) JSRV and ENTV cause cancer in the lung and upper respiratory tract, (ii) the Env proteins of JSRV and ENTV can transform cells, (iii) the receptor for JSRV and ENTV entry is Hyal2, and (iv) Hyal2 is located in the p21.3 region of human chromosome 3, which is commonly deleted in lung and breast cancer, led to the attractive hypothesis that Hyal2 is a tumor suppressor and oncogenesis is the result of inhibition or reversal of this function by Env. However, the facts that NIH 3T3 mouse and 208F rat fibroblasts could be transformed by Env but could not be transduced by JSRV- or ENTV-pseudotype retroviral vectors presented a paradox, since lack of vector entry suggested that the Env proteins could not bind Hyal2 orthologs in these cells and thus could not directly inhibit the putative Hyal2 tumor suppressor activity. Here we have cloned the mouse and rat Hyal2 orthologs from NIH 3T3 and 208F cells, and we find that while rat Hyal2 can bind the JSRV Env SU domain, and thus might participate in transformation by Env, mouse Hyal2 has very low if any binding activity. Furthermore, while rat and human Hyal2 can suppress transformation by JSRV and ENTV Env proteins, mouse Hyal2 did not inhibit transformation. Thus, in NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts it is unlikely that the mouse Hyal2 plays any role in transformation by Env.
Introduction of human or rat Hyal2 into NIH 3T3 cells transformed by the FLAG-tagged JSRV Env construct resulted in a marked reduction in Env levels in the cells, indicating that the mechanism of Env transformation suppression by Hyal2 orthologs that can bind Env involves Env degradation. We conclude that the apparent tumor suppressor activity of Hyal2 in cells transformed by Env is due to Hyal2-mediated reduction of Env levels and not to a more general Env-independent tumor suppressor activity of Hyal2.
Although rat Hyal2 can act as a receptor for JSRV vectors when it is expressed in rat or mouse cells, we have found that JSRV vectors do not transduce 208F rat cells. Hyal2 is widely expressed in different tissues of mice and humans (4, 9, 21), and we used RNA from 208F cells to clone the rat Hyal2 cDNA, so Hyal2 is expressed in these cells. We have not explored whether there is a threshold of Hyal2 expression below which transduction does not occur. Alternatively, other proteins in these cells might bind Hyal2 and block Env interaction with Hyal2, resulting in a requirement for high-level Hyal2 expression in order for transduction to occur.
We have attempted to knock out the Hyal2 gene in mice to see if the animals might get cancer at a higher rate as a result, in support of a general tumor suppressor role for Hyal2, and to see if fibroblasts derived from such animals would still be transformed following expression of JSRV and ENTV Env proteins, but so far we have been unsuccessful in generating viable knockouts. Alternatively, it would be useful to generate Hyal2 knockouts in cell culture either by homologous recombination or by RNA interference technology to provide definitive proof that Hyal2 is not involved in Env transformation.
Although Hyal2 appears to play no role in the transformation of mouse fibroblasts by the JSRV or ENTV Env proteins, these viruses transform epithelial cells in animals, and the mechanism of transformation in these cells may be different. Indeed, it appears that in human epithelial cells, Hyal2 can interact with a cell surface tyrosine kinase(s) to inhibit growth signaling, and that in this case Env binding to Hyal2 stimulates growth signal transduction leading to cell transformation (A. Danilkovitch-Miagkova, F.-M. Duh, I. Kuzamin, D. Angeloni, S.-L. Liu, A. D. Miller, and M. I. Lerman, submitted for publication). Therefore, it appears that the JSRV and ENTV Env proteins can transform cells by Hyal2-dependent and -independent pathways depending on cell type. The mechanism of transformation of DF-1 chicken fibroblasts is unknown but appears different from that in rodent fibroblasts (2), and it will be interesting to see if Hyal2 is involved in the transformation of these cells or whether a third mechanism of transformation is operative.
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