Reversion of murine sarcoma virus transformed mouse cells: variants without a rescuable sarcoma virus

Murine sarcoma virus transformed mouse 3T3 cells, which are negative for murine leukemia virus and which yield sarcoma virus after superinfection with murine leukenmia virus, spotaneously give rise to flat variants front which murine sarcoma virus can no longer be rescued. The revertants support leukemia viruis growth and show an enhanced sensitivity to murine sarcoma superinfection and, like normal cells, do not release RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity. Because revertants could be obtained with high frequency from progeny of single transformed cells, each cell that containts the sarconma virus genome seems to have the capacity to suppress or eliminate an RNA tumor virus native to its species of origin.     

Demonstration of biological activity of a murine leukemia virus of New Zealand black mice

Although New Zealand Black mouse embryo and adult tissues show evidence of murine leukemia viral particles and antigens, efforts to demonstrate biological activity of a murine leukemia virus by standard methods have proved negative. Cocultivation of tissues of these mice with non-virus-yielding hamster cells transformed by Moloney sarcoma virus, however, has resulted in the rescue of a pseudotype sarcoma virus, presumably carrying the New Zealand Black mouse leukemia virus coat. This virus has an unusual host restriction, producing foci of cell alteration only in rat cells.     

Nucleotide sequence of the Rasheed rat sarcoma virus oncogene: new mutations

The nucleotide sequence of the oncogene of the Rasheed strain of rat sarcoma virus was determined. The oncogene (Ra-v-ras) encodes a 29,000-dalton (p29) transforming protein. This protein is distinct from the immunologically related 21,000-dalton protein (p21) of the Harvey murine sarcoma virus in its amino terminus and in having additional mutations in its carboxyl terminus. Although the functional significance of these changes is unknown, they appear to occur only in rat sarcoma virus.     

Glycopeptides from the surface of control and virus-transformed cells

Glycopeptides were removed by trypsin digestion from the surface of control cells and cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus, murine sarcoma virus, or polyoma virus. After digestion with pronase, the glycopeptides were analyzed by gel filtration. The elution profiles suggest that there are differences in the glycopeptides from the surface of control cells and those from transformed cells.     

Three distinct genes in human DNA related to the transforming genes of mammalian sarcoma retroviruses

Southern blot hybridization was used to identify human and other vertebrate DNA sequences that were homologous to cloned DNA fragments containing the oncogenic nucleic acid sequences of three different type C mammalian retroviruses (simian sarcoma virus, the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus, and the Harvey strain of murine sarcoma virus). Each onc gene counterpart has a single genetic locus, which probably contains non-onc intervening sequences. The human DNA sequences may represent genes important to cell growth or cell differentiation, or both. Their identification and isolation may allow elucidation of their role in these processes and in neoplasias.     

5' viral and human cellular sequences corresponding to the transforming gene of simian sarcoma virus

The 5' nucleotide sequences of the transforming gene of simian sarcoma virus (v-sis) and its human cellular homolog (c-sis) were compared. A short homology was found between helper virus and cellular DNA sequences at the junction of v-sis and c-sis, which may have had a role in the original recombination event leading to the generation of simian sarcoma virus.     

DNA of Rous sarcoma virus: its nature and significance

Purified preparations of Rous sarcoma virus (an avian tumor virus with an RNA genome) contain small amounts of double-stranded DNA. This DNA cannot be hybridized to viral RNA, but will reanneal completely with the DNA of avian cells. Extensive substitution of bromodeoxyuridine for thymidine in "viral" DNA does not photosensitize the biological activity of the virus. These observations indicate that the DNA associated with Rous sarcoma virus is derived from the DNA of the avian host cell, and is probably devoid of any function in the life cycle of the virus.     

Xenotropic viruses: murine leukemia viruses associated with NIH Swiss, NZB, and other mouse strains

Murine leukemia virus activity is present in tissues from NIH Swiss and other mouse strains after cocultivation with nonvirus-yielding rat cells transformed by Harvey sarcoma virus. The resulting pseudotype sarcoma virus has the same type-specific coat as the virus previously isolated from New Zealand black (NZB) mice, and, like the NZB virus, it is unable to infect mouse cells. The results show that this NZB type virus is endogenous in other strains of mice and is xenotropic; that is, it grows only in cells foreign to the host. This is the first clear demonstration that NIH Swiss mice also carry indigenous infectious murine leukemia virus.     

Viral infection across species barriers: reversible alteration of murine sarcoma virus for growth in cat cells

Infection of cat embryo cells by a centrifugally induced aggregate of murine sarcoma virus and feline leukemia virus gave rise to a defective, focus-forming virus which propagated in cat cells, but not in mouse cells. This virus, apparently enveloped with a feline leukemia virus coat, was later subjected to aggregation with murine leukemia virus, whereupon it regained the capacity for growth in mouse cells.     

Virus-induced transformation without cell division

Interference with the cell cycle by vinblastine sulfate immediately after cells were infected with Rous sarcoma virus had little effect on the a development of two metabolic changes that occur in transformed cells. These results, along with an earlier demonstration of morphological changes developing in infected nondividing cells, demonstrate that the phenotypic development of the malignant state can occur without the intervention of cell divisions after infection by Rous sarcoma virus.     

Virus induction of osteosarcomas in mice

A virus extractcd from an osteosarcoma of a mouse produces simiillar fumors when Injected into newborn mice. The original tumor appeared spoiltaneously in an untreated CFI male. The time between inoculation with virus and detection of bone sarcoma has been as short as 23 days.     

Wounding and its role in RSV-mediated tumor formation

Tumors induced in chickens by Rous sarcoma virus remain localized at the site of injection even though the animals become viremic. Tumors have now been shown to be inducible at other sites if a wound is inflicted or if the tissue is injured by administration of tumor promoters. These findings indicate that local wounding plays a role in the spread of tumorigenicity of Rous sarcoma virus.     

Transformation of chick embryo neuroretinal cells by Rous sarcoma virus in vitro: induction of cell proliferation

Neuroretinal cells from 7-day-old chick embryos are transformed and induced to proliferate after infection with Rous sarcoma virus in vitro. Susceptibility of neuroretinal cells to the virus is also dependent on the stage of development since infection of cells from 10-day-old embryos is uneffective.     

Inhibition of chemical carcinogenesis by viral vaccines

The incidence of 3-methylcholanthrene-induced subcutaneous tumors was significantly reduced by a single injection of inactivated type C RNA viral vaccine. Rauscher leukemia virus vaccine reduced the incidence of sarcomas from 78 to 50 percent in the BALB/cCr mouse. Radiation leukemia virus vaccine and a vaccine from a wild murine leukemia virus derived from a 3-methylcholanthrene tumor reduced the incidence of sarcoma from 86 percent to 33 and 37 percents, respectively, in the C57BL/6 mouse. These reductions in tumor incidence by virus vaccines help support the concept that type C RNA viruses serve as determinants of chemically induced cancer; additional studies of vaccines made with more purified virus preparations are necessary.     

Molecular modeling of the HIV-1 protease and its substrate binding site

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) encodes a protease that is essential for viral replication and is a member of the aspartic protease family. The recently determined three-dimensional structure of the related protease from Rous sarcoma virus has been used to model the smaller HIV-1 dimer. The active site has been analyzed by comparison to the structure of the aspartic protease, rhizopuspepsin, complexed with a peptide inhibitor. The HIV-1 protease is predicted to interact with seven residues of the protein substrate. This information can be used to design protease inhibitors and possible antiviral drugs.     

Absence of polymerase protein in virions of alpha-type rous sarcoma virus

Noninfectious particles of a mutant of Rous sarcoma virus failed to exhibit DNA polymerase activity even with the use of the most sensitive synthetic template-primer complexes. A neutralization blocking test against antibody to DNA polymerase revealed that these mutants did not contain protein immunologically related to the DNA polymerase.     

Neoplastic transformation of human epidermal keratinocytes by AD12-SV40 and Kirsten sarcoma viruses

Recent investigations have begun to dissect the number and nature of genetic alterations associated with cancer cells. In the present study, primary human epidermal keratinocytes acquired indefinite life-span in culture but did not undergo malignant conversion in response to infection with a hybrid of adenovirus 12 and simian virus 40. Addition of Kirsten murine sarcoma virus, which contains a K-ras oncogene, to these cells induced morphological alterations associated with the acquisition of neoplastic properties. These findings demonstrate the malignant transformation of human primary epithelial cells in culture and support a multiple-step process for neoplastic conversion.     

Complete nucleotide sequence and organization of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus genome

The complete nucleotide sequence of a mammalian transforming retrovirus. Moloney murine sarcoma virus, has been determined. MSV, recombinant virus derived of helper viral and cellular sequences, possesses termini resembling prokaryotic transposable elements. The viral genome has the coding capacity for the Moloney murine leukemia virus gag gene product and contains large deletions in pol and env genes. A large open reading frame encompassing its cell-derived sequences codes for its putative transforming protein. The nature of some of the important domains in the viral genome has been established, and their structure is discussed in relation to their function.     

A new class of endogenous human retroviral genomes

Human DNA contains multiple copies of a novel class of endogenous retroviral genomes. Analysis of a human recombinant DNA clone (HLM-2) containing one such proviral genome revealed that it is a mosaic of retroviral-related sequences with the organization and length of known endogenous retroviral genomes. The HLM-2 long terminal repeat hybridized with the long terminal repeat of the squirrel monkey virus, a type D retrovirus. The HLM-2 gag and pol genes share extensive nucleotide sequence homology with those of the M432 retrovirus (a type A-related retrovirus), mouse mammary tumor virus (a type B retrovirus), and the avian Rous sarcoma virus (a type C retrovirus). Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed regions in the HLM-2 pol gene that were as much as 70 percent identical to the mouse mammary tumor virus pol gene. A portion of the putative HLM-2 env gene hybridized with the corresponding region of the M432 viral genome.     

Genetic mapping of the mouse proto-oncogene c-sis to chromosome 15

The mouse homolog (c-sis) of the transforming gene of the simian sarcoma virus was mapped to chromosome 15 by the Southern blot analysis of DNA's from hamster-mouse somatic cell hybrids. Alterations in c-sis expression may thus play a role in the various murine neoplastic diseases characterized by rearrangements or duplications of chromosome 15.