[Host factor Moloney leukemia virus 10 (MOV10) protein inhibits replication of the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV)].
We investigated inhibition of Moloney leukemia virus 10 (MOV10) upon xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) and made a preliminary study of the mechanism of action. Using transfection, infection, western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction, we found that MOV10 inhibited XMRV replication. Using MOV10 overexpressed in viral producer cells, MOV10 was shown to reduce the infectivity of XMRV. MOV10 could be incorporated into XMRV, suggesting that MOV10 could undergo encapsidation by XMRV during viral assembly. MOV10 could also restrict the DNA production of XMRV in target cells. We found that the putative RNA-helicase domain of MOV10 maintained most of its XMRV inhibition. These results suggest that MOV10 could be required during the retroviral lifecycle. Perturbation of MOV10 disrupts the generation of infectious viral particles, suggesting that MOV10 has broad antiretroviral activity. Hence, MOV10 could be actively involved in host defense against retroviral infection.