Accumulation of unintegrated viral DNA in rat glial cells infected with neurotropic Friend murine leukemia virus

Abstract

FrC6 virus isolated from Friend murine leukemia virus (FLV) as a neurotropic virus clone induced a high-degree of accumulation of unintegrated viral DNA during infection of rat glial cells by 72 h post-infection. When anti-FLV neutralizing antibody, dextran sulfate, or 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) was added to the culture within 24 h after infection, the accumulation of unintegrated viral DNA was inhibited. However, after 30-36 h post-infection, addition of anti-FLV antibody or dextran sulfate scarcely inhibited the accumulation of the unintegrated viral DNA, while addition of AZT at 30-36 h post-infection still reduced the amount of unintegrated viral DNA. Our results demonstrate that after 30-36 h post-infection, when second-round infection had already taken place, further superinfection with cell-free virus to glial cells was not required for the accumulation of unintegrated viral DNA. Possible mechanisms are discussed.