Hereditary Infections With Mammary Tumor Viruses in Mice

• Published in: JNCI : Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1969-11, Vol.43 (5), p.1025-1035
• Main Authors: Bentvelzen, P., Daams, J. H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - immunology; Female; Genes, Regulator; Immunity, Active; Inbreeding; Male; Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse; Mice; Sex Chromosomes
• ISSN: 0027-8874; 1460-2105; 1460-2105
• DOI: 10.1093/jnci/43.5.1025

In the GR mouse, the plaque-inducing mammary tumor virus strain (MTV-P) is effectively transmitted by the male. The gene MES controls this phenomenon and also causes eggborne transmission of MTV-P and extreme susceptibility to it. MES does not cause susceptibility to the standard MTV strain (MTV-S), whereas the alleles of MES control susceptibility to both viruses; MTV-S is the most virulent. In the C3Hf mouse, genes cause male transmission of only the low-oncogenic MTV strain (MTV-L). They do not produce an extreme susceptibility to MTV-L. The intimate relationship between host genome and virus strain with regard to transmission is termed a hereditary infection. It is theorized that such an infection is due to the transmission of viruses as a genetic factor of the host. In strains like C57BL, release of virus is repressed, but, in such strains as GR and C3Hf, virus is released by germinal mutations in controlling genes. Evidence is presented that the repressor, which prevents release of genetically transferred virus, also causes resistance to superinfection with MTV-P or MTV-S by interfering with their replication.