XMRV -Host Range and Cellular Tropism

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PubMed

Host range and cellular tropism of the

human exogenous gammaretrovirus XMRV.

Stieler K, Schulz C, Lavanya M, Aepfelbacher M,

Stocking C, Fischer N.

Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology,

University Medical Center Eppendorf, istrasse

52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.

Abstract

Recently, the first human infection with an

exogenous gammaretrovirus (XMRV) was reported.

In its initial description, XMRV was confined to

prostate stromal fibroblasts, although subsequent

reports demonstrated XMRV protein expression in

prostate epithelial cells.

Most recently, XMRV has been detected in blood cells

of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the

transmission routes and tissue tropism of XMRV by

comparing its host range, receptor usage and LTR

functionality with other MLV isolates.

We demonstrate using pseudotype experiments that

XMRV Env mediates efficient infection of cells from

different species.

We show that replication competent XMRV infects

various human cell types, including hematopoietic

cell lines and prostate stromal fibroblasts.

XMRV-LTR activity is significantly higher in the

prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and in prostate

stromal fibroblasts, compared to other cell types

tested and could be one factor contributing to

efficient viral spread in prostate tissue.