Expression of baboon endogenous virus in exogenously infected baboon cells

Abstract

Strains of low-passage, fetal diploid, baboon (Papio cynocephalus) fibroblasts were susceptible to exogenous infection with three independent isolates of baboon endogenous virus, as measured by an immunofluorescence assay specific for viral p28. Infectivity of the M7 strain of baboon endogenous virus for baboon cells of fetal skin muscle origin was equivalent to that for human and dog cells in that similar, linear, single-hit titration patterns were obtained. The assay for supernatant RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, however, showed that baboon cells produced only low levels of virus after infection compared with the production by heterologous cells. The results showed that baboon endogenous virus was capable of penetrating baboon cells and that viral genes were expressed in infected cells. Replication of complete infectious virus was restricted, however, indicating that in this primate system homologous cells differentially regulated the expression of viral genes.

Baboon endogenous virus genome. I. Restriction enzyme map of the unintegrated DNA genome of a primate retrovirus

“…These viruses are referred to generically as baboon endogenous virus (BaEV). The viruses are classified as xenotropic because they grow poorly on baboon cells (3,14,25). BaEV infection of heterologous permissive cells results in virus production and in integration of viral sequences into the host DNA.…”

Distribution of baboon endogenous virus among species of African monkeys suggests multiple ancient cross-species transmissions in shared habitats

“…If the same is true for BaEV, the virus should be able to infect autologous cells. Although BaEV has been described as a xenotropic virus, there are reports showing that it is able to infect baboon cells, albeit with lower efficiency and with some sort of restriction (23). This could, however, have been different in the past or in other species.…”