Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) replication is controlled by both cis- and trans-acting elements. The virus-encoded transactivator, Tax, is necessary for efficient transcription from the BLV promoter, although it is not present during the early stages of infection. Therefore, sequences that control Tax-independent transcription must play an important role in the initiation of viral gene expression....

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) make up a unique retrovirus family. Both viruses induce chronic lymphoproliferative diseases with BLV affecting the B-cell lineage and HTLV-1 affecting the T-cell lineage. The pathologies of BLV- and HTLV-induced infections are notably similar, with an absence of chronic viraemia and a long latency period. These viruses...

BACKGROUND Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) produces disorders on the immune system in naturally infected animals, which may counteract the development of immunity after vaccination. The aim of this study was to investigate whether healthy and BLV infected cattle elicited similar humoral responses after foot and mouth disease (FMD) immunization. In a field study, 35 Holstein heifers were selected ba...

Background and AimsBulevirtide (BLV) is a small lipopeptide agent that specifically binds to the NTCP bile salt transporter HBV/HDV receptor on surface of human hepatocytes inhibits HDV HBV entry. As satellite virus HBV, virions are formed after assembly RNA with envelope proteins (HBsAg). Because both viruses exist as eight different genotypes, this creates potential for high diversity in comb...

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) resides in infected lymphocytes in a latent, repressed state but becomes expressed a few hours after the cells are cultured in vitro. We have identified several conditions and factors affecting the expression of BLV in short-term cultures of naturally infected lymphoid cells. The presence of foetal calf serum in the culture medium greatly stimulates virus expression...

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV), the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis, is an exogenous, B lymphotropic retrovirus belonging to the Retroviridae family that induces persistent lymphocytosis in cattle and sheep. PCR has proven to be particularly suitable for investigating herds of cattle with a very low incidence of BLV infection and for clarifying doubtful serological results obtain...

BACKGROUND: Viral promoters are used in mammalian expression vectors because they generally have strong activity in a wide variety of cells of differing tissues and species. METHODS: The utility of the BLV LTR/promoter (BLVp) for use in mammalian expression vectors was investigated through direct comparison to the CMV promoter (CMVp). Promoter activity was measured using luciferase assays of ce...

Infection by bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is characterized by a long latency period, after which some individuals develop B-cell tumors. The behavior of BLV and related retroviruses during the latency period between initial infection and subsequent tumorigenesis is poorly understood. We used in situ hybridization to detect BLV transcripts in individual peripheral blood mononuclear cells from exp...

An amplified immunoperoxidase (AIP) assay using an avidin:biotin complex was developed to detect bovine leukemia virus (BLV) antigen expression in lymphocytes which had been cultured 24 h and fixed with acetone. Nonspecific reactions were eliminated by absorbing the test serum with 100% horse or cow serum. DNA synthesis inhibition did not decrease the number of AIP-positive cells, and there wer...