Murine leukemia virus

The murine leukemia virus belongs to the gammaretroviral genus of the Retroviridae family of viruses, their hosts are vertebrates. It is a Type VI: positive sense ssRNA viruses that replicates through a DNA intermediate, reverse transcriptase.

Additional recommended knowledge

Safe Weighing Range Ensures Accurate Results

Don't let static charges disrupt your weighing accuracy

How to quickly check pipettes?

Structure of Virus

The virus particle consists of 65% protein, 35% lipid and 3% carbohydrate. As it is a type of retrovirus, it has a complex structure, consisting of a virus envelope which is studded with carbohydrate molecules (which originate from host cell membranes during virus exit from the host cell). The virus also has a spherical nucleocapsid which contains the nucleocapsoid. The virus is a spherical particle of approximately 90nm diameter.

Genome

The genome of the murine leukemia virus has been fully sequenced; it is a single stranded, linear, positive-sense RNA molecule of around 8000 nucleotides. The virus RNA molecule contains a 5' methylated cap structure and 3' poly-A tail. The genome codes for both structural and non-structural proteins (such as RNA-dependent DNA polymerase which is important during the reverse transcription stage).

Applications of MuLV

• Gene therapy
• Cancer studies - this virus can be used to study cancer mutagenesis.
• Model for retrovirus in bioprocess scale-down viral clearance studies

References

• http://www.virology.net/Big_Virology/BVretro.html
• http://www.virologyj.com/content/1/1/14