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T h e N e w Z e a l a n d b l a c k ( N Z B ) m o u s e s t r a i n a n d its F1 h y b r i d w i t h the N e w Z e a l a n d white ( N Z W ) s t r a i n , B/WF1, are a w i d e l y s t u d i e d m o d e l of h u m a n d i s e a s e s of u n k n o w n etiology. T h e s e i n c l u d e i d i o p a t h i c g l o m e r u l o n e p h r i t i s , s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s , r e l a t e d c o n n e c t i v e tissue a n d a u t o i m m u n e diseases, a n d m a l i g n a n t l y m p h o m a (see reviews 1-3).Several studies have implicated murine leukemia virus (MuLV) 1 in the pathogenesis of the spontaneous diseases of New Zealand mice (4-8}. MuLV-related antigens appear early in the life of NZB mice, and antibodies to the endogenous virus in later life, accompanied by the manifestation of immune complex glomerulonephritis (5). These antibodies were found by immunoelectron microscopy to react with viral envelope components (9-11}. B/WF1 hybrid mice show an earlier production of MuLV-related antigens and antibody as compared to NZB mice, correlating with the earlier onset of proteinuria and mortality from lupus-like glomerulonephritis. MuLV-related antigens and antibody have been demonstrated in the eluates of nephritic kidneys, and the antigens located in the glomerular lesions of NZB and B/WF1 mice by the immunofiuorescence method (5, 6). As the antiserum used in the previous studies contained antibodies to several MuLV-related antigens, it is not known whether one or several of the viral proteins is involved in the glomerular disease.In the present report we describe the use of monospecific antisera for the analysis of specific viral proteins that could be of significance in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis in these mice. One of the proteins is the major internal structural component of MuLV