Further evidence for deletion of envelope glycoprotein (gp69/71) sequences in formation of Moloney-murine sarcoma virus.

Moloney-murine sarcoma virus (S+L- strain of M-MSV) has been nonproductively cloned in murine and non-murine host cells (S+L- cells) and the expression of Moloney leukaemia virus (M-MuLV) 30000 mol. wt. core protein (p30) and envelope glycoprotein (gp69/71) were studied by radioimmunoassay. Antigenic determinants of the M-MuLV p30 were associated with the sarcoma virus genome in these non-productively transformed cell clones studied, while the determinants of M-MuLV gp69/71 were not. The absence of envelope-associated glycoprotein expression in sarcoma virus transformed cells was confirmation of biological studies demonstrating that rescued sarcoma virions acquire envelope-associated properties of host range, neutralization and interference from rescuing helper virus, and further evidence that the M-MuLV gp69/71 sequences have been deleted during the formation of the M-MSV. During the course of these studies, it was also found that S+L- dog cells were releasing into culture supernatant large amounts of the p30 antigenic determinant, apparently as a soluble antigen.