Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Immunoprevention of naturally occurring endogenous murine type-C RNA viruses

Nature volume 273, pages 383–385 (1978)Cite this article

Abstract

GENETIC sequences coding for type-C RNA viruses exist within the DNA of mouse cells1,2. In some inbred mouse strains endogenous viruses infectious for mouse cells are spontaneously activated and replicate in the animal: there is an associated incidence of lymphoreticular neoplasia correlated with the age of onset and level of virus expression3,4. Isolates from these naturally occurring lymphoreticular neoplasms as well as isolates activated from cells in vitro can directly induce lymphoreticular tumours in the same or an appropriately susceptible host strain3,5–8. These findings have led to the question of whether, after experimental immunisation, the host might be able to control or prevent tumours associated with these endogenous viruses. Irradiation induced thymomas of C57BL/6 mice are of probable endogenous type-C virus aetiology9,10 and an antiviral immunity can be induced in these mice by active or passive means which results in a significant reduction in endogenous type-C virus expression and tumour incidence11. Similar results have been obtained by Huebner and co-workers by induction of antiviral immunity in AKR mice12,13. We have examined induction of immunity to endogenous type-C viruses in three inbred mouse strains, BALB/c, NIH Swiss and C57BL, known to differ in their immunological responsiveness14 as well as their expression of endogenous type-C virus. Inactivated murine ecotropic type-C virus was found to be effective in preventing the natural expression of endogenous ecotropic as well as the immunologically related xenotropic viruses. These findings have important implications in the potential for prevention of naturally occurring neoplasms by antiviral immunity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aaronson, S. A., Hartley, J. W. & Todaro, G. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 64, 87–93 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lieber, M. M. & Todaro, G. J. in Cancer: A Comprehensive Treatise 2 (ed. Becker, F. F.) 91–130 (Plenum, New York, 1975).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Peters, R. L., Spahn, G. J., Rabstein, L. S., Kelloff, G. J. & Huebner, R. J. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 51, 621–630 (1973).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lilly, F., Duran-Reynals, M. L. & Rowe, W. P. J. exp. Med. 141, 882–889 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gross, L. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 78, 342–343 (1951).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Lieberman, M. L. & Kaplan, H. S. Science 130, 387–388 (1959).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Peters, R. L., Spahn, G. J., Rabstein, L. S., Kelloff, G. J. & Huebner, R. J. Nature new Biol. 244, 103–105 (1973).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Stephenson, J. R., Greenberger, J. S. & Aaronson, S. A. J. Virol. 13, 237–240 (1974).

    PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kaplan, H. S. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 9, 55–56 (1948).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kaplan, H. S. Cancer Res. 27, 1325–1340 (1967).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Peters, R. L. et al. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 1697–1701 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Huebner, R. J. et al. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 620–624 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Huebner, R. J. et al. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 4633–4635 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Stephenson, J. R. et al. J. Virol 19, 890–898 (1976).

    PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Stephenson, J. R., Reynolds, R. K., Tronick, S. R. & Aaronson, S. A. Virology 67, 404–414 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Levy, J. A. Science 182, 1151–1153 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kelloff, G. J., Peters, R. L., Donahoe, R. M., Stephenson, J. R. & Aaronson, S. A. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 57, 85–89 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kelloff, G. J. et al. Cancer Res. 36, 622–630 (1976).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Herberman, R. B. & Oren, M. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 46, 391–396 (1971).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Oren, M. E., Herberman, R. B. & Canty, T. G. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 46, 621–628 (1971).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Al-Ghazzouli, I. K. et al. J. Immun. 117, 2239–2248 (1976).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Aaronson, S. A. & Stephenson, J. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 2055–2058 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hartley, J. R. & Rowe, W. P. Virology, 65, 128–134 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Peebles, P. T. Virology 67, 288–291 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Rowe, W. P., Pugh, W. E. & Hartley, J. W. Virology 42, 1136–1139 (1970).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Oroszlan, S., Fisher, C. L., Stanley, T. B. & Gilden, R. V. J. gen. Virol. 8, 1–10 (1970).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Borsos, T. & Cooper, M. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 107, 227–232 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Rosenberg, L. T. & Tachibana, D. K. J. Immun. 89, 861–867 (1962).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hartley, J. W., Wolford, N. K., Old, L. J. & Rowe, W. P. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 74, 789–792 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Troxler, D. H., Lowy, D., Howk, R., Young, H. & Scolnick, E. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 4671–4675 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of RNA Tumor Viruses, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, 21701

    MEIR KENDE, JOHN R. STEPHENSON & GARY J. KELLOFF

  2. Microbiological Associates, Walkersville, Maryland, 21793

    ISMAIL K. AL-GHAZZOULI & MARSHALL DINOWITZ

Authors
  1. MEIR KENDE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. JOHN R. STEPHENSON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. GARY J. KELLOFF
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. ISMAIL K. AL-GHAZZOULI
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. MARSHALL DINOWITZ
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KENDE, M., STEPHENSON, J., KELLOFF, G. et al. Immunoprevention of naturally occurring endogenous murine type-C RNA viruses. Nature 273, 383–385 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/273383a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/273383a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing