Molecular pathogenesis of feline leukemia virus-induced malignancies: insertional mutagenesis

Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2008 May 15;123(1-2):138-43. doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.01.019. Epub 2008 Jan 19.

Abstract

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), which is subclassified into three subgroups of A, B and C, is a pathogenic retrovirus in cats. FeLV-A is minimally pathogenic, FeLV-C can cause pure red cell aplasia, and FeLV-B is associated with a variety of pathogenic properties such as lymphoma, leukemia and anemia. FeLV-induced neoplasms are caused, at least in part, by somatically acquired insertional mutagenesis in which the integrated provirus may activate a proto-oncogene or disrupt a tumor suppressor gene. The common integration sites for FeLV have been identified in six loci with feline lymphomas: c-myc, flvi-1, flvi-2 (contains bmi-1), fit-1, pim-1 and flit-1. Oncogenic association of the loci includes that c-myc is known as a proto-oncogene, bmi-1 and pim-1 have been recognized as myc-collaborators, fit-1 appears to be closely linked to myb, and flit-1 insertion is shown to be associated with over-expression of a cellular gene, e.g. ACVRL1. Thus, identification of common integration sites for FeLV is a tenable model to clarify oncogenesis. Recent advances in molecular biology and cytogenetics have developed to rapidly detect numbers of retroviral integration sites by genome-wide large-scale analyses. Especially, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategies and chromosome analyses with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) will be applicable for studies on FeLV.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cat Diseases / virology*
  • Cats
  • Genome, Viral
  • Leukemia Virus, Feline / genetics*
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Proviruses / genetics*
  • Retroviridae Infections / veterinary*
  • Retroviridae Infections / virology
  • Tumor Virus Infections / veterinary*
  • Tumor Virus Infections / virology