GENETIC-BASIS FOR RESISTANCE TO POLYTROPIC MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUSES INTHE WILD MOUSE-SPECIES MUS CASTANEUS

Cultured cells derived from the wild mouse species Mus castaneus were found to be uniquely resistant to exogenous infection by polytropic mi nk cell focus-forming (MCF) murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs). This MCF MuLV resistance is inherited as a genetically recessive trait in the p rogeny of F-1 crosses between M. castaneus and MCF MuLV-susceptible la boratory mice, Examination of the progeny of backcrosses demonstrated that susceptibility is inherited as a single gene which maps to chromo some 1. The map location of this gene places it at or near the locus R mcI, the gene encoding the receptor for MCF/xenotropic MuLVs, suggesti ng that resistance is mediated by the M. castaneus allele of this rece ptor.