RB virus: a strain of Friend virus that produces a 'Friend virus-like' disease in Fv-2rr mice.

RB virus is a newly derived strain of Friend virus that was adapted to produce a 'Friend-like' disease in mice that are genetically resistant to wild-type Friend virus. RB virus was produced by passing high titers of the wild-type Friend virus (Lilly-Steeves polycythemia-producing strain) through adult Fv-2rr mice. Titration of the defective spleen focus-forming virus indicated RB virus infected similar numbers of Fv-2ss or Fv-2rr target cells. Analysis of the spleens from mice infected with RB virus indicated that RB induced the early stage of Friend disease (erythroid proliferation) in both Fv-2rr and Fv-2ss mice. Fv-2ss mice infected with RB virus developed the classical Friend disease within 3 weeks. In contrast, the percentage of Fv-2rr mice developing the 'Friend-like' disease after infection with RB virus never exceeded 60%. The latency period of RBV in Fv-2rr mice was strain dependent. D2.R16 (Fv-2rr) developed the syndrome more rapidly than C57BL/6 (Fv-2rr). RB virus retained the capacity to transform erythroprogenitor cells from both Fv-2ss and Fv-2rr animals. Cells infected with RB virus consistently produced a modified SFFV envelope protein, gp48.