Mutants and pseudorevertants of Moloney murine leukemia virus with alterations at the integration site.

Soon after infection, retroviruses synthesize a DNA copy of the genomic RNA and insert that DNA into the cellular genome by recombination at inverted repeat sequences at the termini of the viral genome. We have generated mutations that alter one terminus of the genome of Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV). Some mutations did not prevent integration of the viral DNA even though the very terminal bases were disrupted. Other mutations had dramatic effects on the efficiency of infection; in these cases the formation of preintegrative DNA was normal but the establishment of the productive provirus was prevented. One of these defective mutants gave rise to a pseudorevertant which differed from the wild type but displayed normal infectivity. An unusual number of bases of viral DNA were removed during the integration reaction carried out by this virus.