This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hilgers, J. Articles by Kaplan, H. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hilgers, J. Articles by Kaplan, H. S.

Murine Leukemia Virus Group-specific Antigen Expression in AKR Mice¹

Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305 [A. D., H. S. K.], and Department of Biology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands [J. H., J. G.]

The distribution of the group-specific murine leukemia virus antigen was studied by immunofluorescence and immunofluorescence absorption in embryo, neonatal, and postnatal normal AKR mice of various ages and in leukemic mice of this strain. MuLV-gs antigens were first detected during the first postnatal week in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and serum, and during the second postnatal week in the thymus and the kidney. A variety of other tissues and organs were also positive, notably placenta, uterus, ovaries, and bones. Embryos at 10 to 18 days of gestation were consistently negative.

MuLV-gs expression was first observed in the normal liver at 2 to 3 days after birth with a peak level between Days 5 and 12, after which the antigen gradually disappeared and remained absent during normal adult life. In mice with disseminated leukemia, infiltrating tumor cells caused another peak of gs antigen expression in this organ. Hematopoietic cells, rather than hepatocytes, seem to be the productively infected cells in the neonatal liver.

Spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes were highly positive throughout life and showed little further increase in level of antigen during leukemogenesis. Surprisingly, the amount of antigen in the thymus of normal adult AKR mice was comparatively low, but increased to very high levels in leukemic mice.

Blood serum and kidney showed a broad peak of antigen expression at approximately 10 to 30 days of age, followed by a decline in normal adults, possibly due to an immune response to MuLV antigens. Leukemic adults developed a very high level of antigen in serum and kidneys.

¹ This work was supported by Contract NIH-NCI-E-72-3260 and by Research Grants CA 03352 and CA 10372 from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USPHS, Bethesda, Md.

Received 7/23/73. Accepted 6/21/74.