Skin Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Skin Cancer, including details on identification, causes, prevention, treatment.

Establishment of productively infected walleye dermal sarcoma explant cells.

Rovnak J, Casey RN, Brewster CD, Casey JW, Quackenbush SL

Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. joel.rovnak@colostate.edu

Walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV) is a complex retrovirus associated with dermal sarcomas in walleye fish. Virus expression is tightly regulated and limited to accessory gene transcripts throughout tumour development. During tumour regression, this regulation is lost and the replication of virus is greatly enhanced. Cultured walleye fibroblasts infected in vitro do not produce significant quantities of infectious virus. Tissue culture cells established by explantation of tumour cells were found to harbour WDSV provirus and to express accessory and structural proteins. The sequence of the provirus showed little variation from a previous WDSV isolate. Retroviral particles were isolated from supernatants from these cells and were able to transfer infection to uninfected walleye fibroblasts. In addition to the virus present in supernatants, much of the virus was cell associated and liberated only by sonication. This virus was found at internal cellular membranes, including mitochondria, and was infectious.

Published 16 August 2007 in J Gen Virol, 88: 2583-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Skin Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.