The effect of avian retroviruses on limb bud chondrogenesis in vitro.

Mesenchymal cells isolated from stage 24 embryonic chicken limb buds were infected with the temperature-sensitive transformation mutants of Rous sarcoma virus tsNY68, tsNY10 and tsLA25 at the nonpermissive temperature for transformation (41 degrees C). Virus infection greatly inhibited subsequent limb bud chondrogenesis under nontransforming conditions, as indicated by a reduction in the rate of 35SO4 incorporation into cell-associated proteoglycans. The inhibition of chondrogenesis was directly related to the percentage of cells infected with tsNY68 at 41 degrees C. The observed inhibition of chondrogenesis was independent of src gene expression since this effect was also caused by many viruses which lack the src gene, including the leukosis viruses RAV-1, RAV-2 and MAV-2(0); the src deletion mutant RSVtd107; and the reticuloendotheliosis viruses REV-T and SNV. Infection of mesenchymal cells with tsNY68 under nontransforming conditions did not cause changes in parameters such as the rate of thymidine incorporation, total cell DNA and total cell protein. Infection with tsNY68 at 41 degrees C resulted in altered kinetics of 35SO4 incorporation into cell-associated proteoglycans and a corresponding reduction in 35SO4-labeled proteoglycans extracted from the cell layer. There were no apparent quantitative effects on the rate of accumulation of proteoglycans in the culture medium. The proteoglycans extracted from the cells and the collected medium of tsNY68-infected cultures were smaller than those of uninfected cultures, as shown by agarose gel chromatography.