| 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) |