In Vitro Pseudotyping Upon Mixed Infection Of Polytropic And Ecotropic Murine Leukemia Viruses: Enhancement Of Polytropic Murine Leukemia Virus Infectivity

Abstract

Pseudotyping is an event that occurs in a mixed infection in which the RNA genome encoding an envelope protein (SU) is encapsulated in a viral structural particle containing the SU protein of a different virion. Utilizing cell culturing experiments, the Moloney ecotropic Murine Leukemia Virus (MuLV) and two polytropic MuLVs, one corresponding to each antigenic subclass, an attempt was made to create an in vitro system to study the pseudotyping phenomenon. This research resulted in an in vitro system that closely mimics the in vivo system. It enabled the determination of the extent of pseudotyping that occurs in mixed infection and assessed the effects of pseudotyping on viral infectivity. The development of this in vitro system will allow more efficient studies of this pseudotyping phenomenon by serving as an accurate model of study.