Skip to main content
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1979 Apr;76(4):1633–1637. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.4.1633

Avian acute leukemia viruses MC29 and MH2 share specific RNA sequences: Evidence for a second class of transforming genes

Peter H Duesberg *, Peter K Vogt
PMCID: PMC383444  PMID: 221900

Abstract

The genome of the defective avian tumor virus MH2 was identified as a RNA of 5.7 kilobases by its presence in different MH2-helper virus complexes and its absence from pure helper virus, by its unique fingerprint pattern of RNase T1-resistant (T1) oligonucleotides that differed from those of two helper virus RNAs, and by its structural analogy to the RNA of MC29, another avian acute leukemia virus. Two sets of sequences were distinguished in MH2 RNA: 66% hybridized with DNA complementary to helper-independent avian tumor viruses, termed group-specific, and 34% were specific. The percentage of specific sequences is considered a minimal estimate because the MH2 RNA used was about 30% contaminated by helper virus RNA. No sequences related to the transforming src gene of avian sarcoma viruses were found in MH2. MH2 shared three large T1 oligonucleotides with MC29, two of which could also be isolated from a RNase A- and T1-resistant hybrid formed between MH2 RNA and MC29 specific cDNA. These oligonucleotides belong to a group of six that define the specific segment of MC29 RNA described previously. The group-specific sequences of MH2 and MC29 RNA shared only the two smallest out of about 20 T1 oligonucleotides associated with MH2 RNA. It is concluded that the specific sequences of MH2 and MC29 are related, and it is proposed that they are necessary for, or identical with, the onc genes of these viruses. These sequences would define a related class of transforming genes in avian tumor viruses that differs from the src genes of avian sarcoma viruses.

Keywords: gel electrophoresis of RNA, RNA·cDNA hybridization, fingerprinting of oligonucleotides, group-specific and specific sequences of defective viral RNA

Full text

PDF
1633

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baltimore D. Tumor viruses: 1974. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1975;39(Pt 2):1187–1200. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1974.039.01.137. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bister K., Hayman M. J., Vogt P. K. Defectiveness of avian myelocytomatosis virus MC29: isolation of long-term nonproducer cultures and analysis of virus-specific polypeptide synthesis. Virology. 1977 Oct 15;82(2):431–448. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(77)90017-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bister K., Vogt P. K. Genetic analysis of the defectiveness in strain MC29 avian leukosis virus. Virology. 1978 Jul 15;88(2):213–221. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(78)90278-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Coffin J. M., Champion M., Chabot F. Nucleotide sequence relationships between the genomes of an endogenous and an exogenous avian tumor virus. J Virol. 1978 Dec;28(3):972–991. doi: 10.1128/jvi.28.3.972-991.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Duesberg P. H., Bister K., Vogt P. K. The RNA of avian acute leukemia virus MC29. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Oct;74(10):4320–4324. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.10.4320. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Duesberg P. H., Canaani E. Complementarity between Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) RNA and the in vitro-synthesized DNA of the virus-associated DNA polymerase. Virology. 1970 Nov;42(3):783–788. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(70)90325-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Duesberg P. H., Vogt P. K. Differences between the ribonucleic acids of transforming and nontransforming avian tumor viruses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1970 Dec;67(4):1673–1680. doi: 10.1073/pnas.67.4.1673. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Duesberg P. H., Vogt P. K. RNA species obtained from clonal lines of avian sarcoma and from avian leukosis virus. Virology. 1973 Jul;54(1):207–219. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(73)90130-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hu S. S., Moscovici C., Vogt P. K. The defectiveness of Mill Hill 2, a carcinoma-inducing avian oncovirus. Virology. 1978 Aug;89(1):162–178. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(78)90049-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ishizaki R., Langlois A. J., Chabot J., Beard J. W. Component of strain MC29 avian leukosis virus with the property of defectiveness. J Virol. 1971 Dec;8(6):821–827. doi: 10.1128/jvi.8.6.821-827.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ivanov X., Mladenov Z., Nedyalkov S., Bozhkov S. Electron-microscope proof of virus particles in fowl myelocytomatosis. C R Acad Bulg Sci. 1965;18(6):593–595. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Joho R. H., Billeter M. A., Weissmann C. Mapping of biological functions on RNA of avian tumor viruses: location of regions required for transformation and determination of host range. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Dec;72(12):4772–4776. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.12.4772. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lai M. M., Duesberg P. H., Horst J., Vogt P. K. Avian tumor virus RNA: a comparison of three sarcoma viruses and their transformation-defective derivatives by oligonucleotide fingerprinting and DNA-RNA hybridization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Aug;70(8):2266–2270. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.8.2266. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Martin G. S., Duesberg P. H. The a subunit in the RNA of transforming avian tumor viruses. I. Occurrence in different virus strains. II. Spontaneous loss resulting in nontransforming variants. Virology. 1972 Feb;47(2):494–497. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(72)90287-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mellon P., Pawson A., Bister K., Martin G. S., Duesberg P. H. Specific RNA sequences and gene products of MC29 avian acute leukemia virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Dec;75(12):5874–5878. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.12.5874. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Moscovici C., Gazzolo L., Moscovici M. G. Focus assay and defectiveness of avian myeloblastosis virus. Virology. 1975 Nov;68(1):173–181. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(75)90159-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Vogt P. K. Spontaneous segregation of nontransforming viruses from cloned sarcoma viruses. Virology. 1971 Dec;46(3):939–946. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(71)90092-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wang L. H., Duesberg P. H., Robins T., Yokota H., Vogt P. K. The terminal oligonucleotides of avian tumor virus RNAs are genetically linked. Virology. 1977 Oct 15;82(2):472–492. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(77)90020-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wang L. H., Duesberg P., Beemon K., Vogt P. K. Mapping RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides of avian tumor virus RNAs: sarcoma-specific oligonucleotides are near the poly(A) end and oligonucleotides common to sarcoma and transformation-defective viruses are at the poly(A) end. J Virol. 1975 Oct;16(4):1051–1070. doi: 10.1128/jvi.16.4.1051-1070.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wang L. H., Duesberg P., Mellon P., Vogt P. K. Distribution of envelope-specific and sarcoma-specific nucleotide sequences from different parents in the RNAs of avian tumor virus recombinants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Apr;73(4):1073–1077. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.4.1073. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES