The antigens of the envelope (VEA) of murine leukemia sarcoma viruses were studied by in vivo neutralization of 9 different pseudotypes of the murine sarcoma virus (MSV) with specific antisera prepared in rats or mice. Antisera directed against 15 different murine leukemia viruses as well as against the related MSY pseudotypes were tested. Four categories of viruses were separated by mouse antisera: 1) Moloney, Rauscher, Friend, Rich, Buffet viruses, and the LLY, 2) Graffi, Mazurenko, and Stepina-Zilber viruses, 3) Gross, AKR, and Kaplan viruses, 4) Tennant virus. The first 2 categories included agents which induced the FMRGi antigen on the host cell membrane, but they could be separated according to the antigens of the viral envelope; a strong antigenic specificity differentiated between the 2. The agents of the third category, which induced G antigen on the host cell membrane, were poorly immunogenic for mice, but an antigen specific for this subgroup could be detected by an antiserum prepared by intrathymus inoculation. We propose to name the main antigens of the 3 virus groups VEA I, II, and III. Some weak crossreactions were found among the viruses of all 3 categories-probably due to minor antigens. The Tennant virus behaved in a way that did not permit its classification in 1 of the 3 categories. With rat antisera, a group-specific antigen of the viral envelope (gs VEA) was detected in all murine leukemia sarcoma viruses.
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Gomard et al. (1973) studied this question.