BIOLOGY OF FELINE RETROVIRUSES NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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BIOLOGY OF FELINE RETROVIRUSES

Retrovirus Biology and Human Disease. Gallo RC and Wong-Staal F, eds. New York, Marcel Dekker, p. 33-86, 1990.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/91676220
Hardy WD Jr; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

Abstract: There are three subfamilies of retroviruses: (1) Oncovirinae, which include such cancer-inducing viruses as the feline leukemia viruses (FeLVs), feline sarcoma viruses (FeSVs), avian leukosis viruses, and murine leukemia viruses; (2) Lentivirinae, which include HIV-1 and HIV-2; and (3) Spumavirinae, which infect many animals, but cause no known disease. Pet cats are infected with members of all three subfamilies, and two feline retroviruses, (FelV and feline immunodeficiency virus [FIV]) from different subfamilies, cause AIDS in cats. Current knowledge of the biology of the three subfamilies of feline retroviruses is reviewed and this information is related to the biology of human retroviruses. Topics include the following: virology of endogenous feline oncoviruses (RD-114 and endogenous FeLV-related sequences); virology of exogenous infectious oncoviruses (FeLV subgroups, defective FeLV-myc recombinant proviruses, FeLV-feline AIDS [FAIDS], viruses, FeSVs, FeLV genome, and proteins, and feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen); mechanisms of FeLV-induced leukemogenesis; pathogenesis of FeLV infection; latent FeLV; consequences of FeLV exposure; epidemiology of FeLV; immune response to FeLV infection; prevention of the spread of FeLV; FeLV vaccine; FeLV diseases (proliferative lymphocyte diseases, degenerative lymphoid diseases, erythroid neoplastic diseases, erythroid blastopenic diseases, myeloid neoplastic diseases, myeloid blastopenic diseases, abortion and resorption syndromes, FeLV neurologic syndrome, FeLV immune complex glomerulonephritis, enteritis, and cachexia, and FeSV-induced tumors of pet cats); FIV; FIV-FAIDS; and feline syncytium-forming virus. The elucidation of the unique biology of feline retroviruses often has pointed toward new directions and concepts for the study of retroviruses of all animals, including humans. Feline retroviruses and their diseases offer an excellent comparative model for the study of control and treatment of human retroviruses and human retroviral diseases. In addition, the continual search for new oncogene-containing feline sarcoma and leukemia viruses may yield new and important oncogenes whose normal cellular homolog may elucidate new growth-regulatory molecules. (224 Refs)
Keywords: Animal Base Sequence/GENETICS Cat Diseases/*MICROBIOLOGY Cats Cell Transformation, Viral/GENETICS DNA, Viral/GENETICS Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/MICROBIOLOGY Gene Expression Regulation, Viral/*PHYSIOLOGY Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline/GENETICS Leukemia/MICROBIOLOGY/VETERINARY Leukemia Virus, Feline/GENETICS Retroviridae/*GENETICS Retroviridae Infections/MICROBIOLOGY/*VETERINARY Virus Replication/GENETICS MONOGRAPH REVIEWKWDanimalbasesequence/geneticscatdiseases/KWDmicrobiologycatscelltransformation,viral/geneticsdna,viral/geneticsfelineacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/microbiologygeneexpressionregulation,viral/KWDphysiologyimmunodeficiencyvirus,feline/geneticsleukemia/microbiology/veterinaryleukemiavirus,feline/geneticsretroviridae/KWDgeneticsretroviridaeinfections/microbiology/KWDveterinaryvirusreplication/geneticsmonographreview
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M91C4104

Copyright © 1991 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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