Recombinant Origin of the Retrovirus XMRV

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1205292
• Publication Date: 2011-06-01T03:04:48Z
• Authors: Tobias Paprotka; Krista A. Delviks...; Oya Cingöz; Anthony Martinez; Hsing-Jien Kung; Clifford G. Tepper; Wei-Shau Hu; Matthew J. Fivash; John M. Coffin; Vinay K. Pathak
• Keywords: Gammaretrovirus

The retrovirus XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) has been detected in human prostate tumors and blood samples from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, but these findings have not replicated. We hypothesized that an understanding of when how first arose might help explain the discrepant results. studied cancer cell lines CWR22Rv1 CWR-R1, which produce virtually identical to viruses recently found patient samples, as well their progenitor tumor xenograft (CWR22) had passaged mice. infection two later passage xenografts, early passages. In particular, we host mice contained proviruses, PreXMRV-1 PreXMRV-2, share 99.92% identity over >3.2-kilobase stretches genomes. conclude was present original CWR22 generated by recombination proviruses during passaging probability recombinant independently is negligible (~10(-12)); our results suggest association disease due contamination virus originating this event.