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Artificial insertion of a dominant gene for resistance to avian leukosis virus into the germ line of the chicken

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Summary

This report describes the unique biological properties of a transgenic chicken line that contains a defective avian leukosis virus (ALV) proviral insert that we call alv6. Chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF) containing this insert express subgroup A envelope glycoprotein since they yield focus-forming pseudotype virus when co-cultivated with transformed quail cells expressing envelope-defective Bryan high-liter Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). In addition, these cells display high interference to subgroup A RSV but not to subgroup B RSV infection. Chickens containing this insert are highly resistant to pathogenic subgroup A ALV infection, but show little immunological tolerance to subgroup B ALV infection. Thus we have artificially inserted a dominant gene for resistance to avian leukosis infection into the chicken germ line.

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Communicated by E.J. Eisen

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Salter, D.W., Crittenden, L.B. Artificial insertion of a dominant gene for resistance to avian leukosis virus into the germ line of the chicken. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 77, 457–461 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274263

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274263

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