Cellular tropism and transcription of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) were investigated using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected from a cow infected with both viruses. Each PBMC subset, purified by magnetic cell sorting, was subjected to PCR and RT-PCR for detection of their integrated proviruses and transcript mRNAs. Both BLV and BIV genomes were detected by nested PCR in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and γδ T cells, B cells and monocytes. However, BLV tax transcription was only detected in B cells, and only B cells also formed BLV syncytia in CC81 cells. On the other hand, BIV transcript was detected in each subpopulation of PBMC. These results indicated that BLV can infect T cells and monocytes as well as B cells, but can be expressed by transcription only in B cells. In contrast, BIV can express its transcripts in all infected cells.
(Viral Disease Section, Department of Infectious Disease TEL +81-29-838-7841)
References:
Wu et al. (2003) Virus Res. 97:81-87.
