ts1, a mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB, causes both immunodeficiency and neurologic disorders in BALB/c mice.

BALB/c mice infected with ts1, a mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB, develop generalized body wasting, profound neurologic disorders, severe thymic atrophy and lymphopenia due to destruction of T lymphocytes and drastic immunodeficiency. ts1 was found not only able to infect T lymphocytes but also to impair their function. In addition, ts1 also infects and induces syncyntia formation in macrophages. The genetic determinant(s) responsible for ts1's ability to induce immunodeficiency has been localized to the env gene.