Skip to main content
PMC home page
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
. 1983 Jul;80(14):4218–4222. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.14.4218

Structure and biological activity of v-raf, a unique oncogene transduced by a retrovirus.

U R Rapp, M D Goldsborough, G E Mark, T I Bonner, J Groffen, F H Reynolds Jr, J R Stephenson
PMCID: PMC384008  PMID: 6308607

Abstract

We have molecularly cloned a unique acutely transforming replication-defective mouse type C virus (3611-MSV) and characterized its acquired oncogene. The viral genome closely resembles Moloney (M) murine leukemia virus (MuLV), except for a substitution in M-MuLV in the middle of p30 and the middle of the polymerase gene (pol). Heteroduplex analysis revealed that 2.4 kilobases of M-MuLV DNA were replaced by 1.2 kilobases of cellular DNA. The junctions between viral and cellular sequences were determined by DNA sequence analysis to be 517 nucleotides into the p30 sequence and 1,920 nucleotides into the polymerase sequence. Comparison of the transforming gene from 3611-MSV, designated v-raf, with previously isolated retrovirus oncogenes either by direct hybridization or by comparison of restriction fragments of their cellular homologs shows it to be unique. Transfection of NIH 3T3 cells with cloned 3611-MSV proviral DNA leads to highly efficient transformation and the recovered virus elicits tumors in mice typical of the 3611-MSV virus. Transfected NIH 3T3 cells express two 3611-MSV-specific polyproteins (P75 and P90), both of which contain NH2-terminal gag gene-encoded components linked to the acquired sequence (v-raf) translational product. The cellular homolog, c-raf, is present in one or two copies per haploid genome in mouse and human DNA.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

4219Image
on p.4219
4220Image
on p.4220
4220Image
on p.4220
4221Image
on p.4221

Selected References

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

  1. Benton W. D., Davis R. W. Screening lambdagt recombinant clones by hybridization to single plaques in situ. Science. 1977 Apr 8;196(4286):180–182. doi: 10.1126/science.322279. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blair D. G., Oskarsson M., Wood T. G., McClements W. L., Fischinger P. J., Vande Woude G. G. Activation of the transforming potential of a normal cell sequence: a molecular model for oncogenesis. Science. 1981 May 22;212(4497):941–943. doi: 10.1126/science.7233190. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Collett M. S., Erikson R. L. Protein kinase activity associated with the avian sarcoma virus src gene product. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Apr;75(4):2021–2024. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.4.2021. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Curran T., Peters G., Van Beveren C., Teich N. M., Verma I. M. FBJ murine osteosarcoma virus: identification and molecular cloning of biologically active proviral DNA. J Virol. 1982 Nov;44(2):674–682. doi: 10.1128/jvi.44.2.674-682.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dalla-Favera R., Bregni M., Erikson J., Patterson D., Gallo R. C., Croce C. M. Human c-myc onc gene is located on the region of chromosome 8 that is translocated in Burkitt lymphoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Dec;79(24):7824–7827. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.24.7824. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dalla-Favera R., Franchini G., Martinotti S., Wong-Staal F., Gallo R. C., Croce C. M. Chromosomal assignment of the human homologues of feline sarcoma virus and avian myeloblastosis virus onc genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Aug;79(15):4714–4717. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.15.4714. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dalla-Favera R., Gelmann E. P., Martinotti S., Franchini G., Papas T. S., Gallo R. C., Wong-Staal F. Cloning and characterization of different human sequences related to the onc gene (v-myc) of avian myelocytomatosis virus (MC29). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Nov;79(21):6497–6501. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.21.6497. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Donner L., Fedele L. A., Garon C. F., Anderson S. J., Sherr C. J. McDonough feline sarcoma virus: characterization of the molecularly cloned provirus and its feline oncogene (v-fms). J Virol. 1982 Feb;41(2):489–500. doi: 10.1128/jvi.41.2.489-500.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ellis R. W., Defeo D., Shih T. Y., Gonda M. A., Young H. A., Tsuchida N., Lowy D. R., Scolnick E. M. The p21 src genes of Harvey and Kirsten sarcoma viruses originate from divergent members of a family of normal vertebrate genes. Nature. 1981 Aug 6;292(5823):506–511. doi: 10.1038/292506a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Franchini G., Even J., Sherr C. J., Wong-Staal F. onc sequences (v-fes) of Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus are derived from noncontiguous regions of a cat cellular gene (c-fes). Nature. 1981 Mar 12;290(5802):154–157. doi: 10.1038/290154a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Graham F. L., van der Eb A. J. A new technique for the assay of infectivity of human adenovirus 5 DNA. Virology. 1973 Apr;52(2):456–467. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(73)90341-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hampe A., Laprevotte I., Galibert F., Fedele L. A., Sherr C. J. Nucleotide sequences of feline retroviral oncogenes (v-fes) provide evidence for a family of tyrosine-specific protein kinase genes. Cell. 1982 Oct;30(3):775–785. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90282-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hartley J. W., Wolford N. K., Old L. J., Rowe W. P. A new class of murine leukemia virus associated with development of spontaneous lymphomas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Feb;74(2):789–792. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.2.789. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hunter T., Sefton B. M. Transforming gene product of Rous sarcoma virus phosphorylates tyrosine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Mar;77(3):1311–1315. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.3.1311. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lane M. A., Sainten A., Cooper G. M. Activation of related transforming genes in mouse and human mammary carcinomas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Aug;78(8):5185–5189. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.8.5185. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Leder P., Tiemeier D., Enquist L. EK2 derivatives of bacteriophage lambda useful in the cloning of DNA from higher organisms: the lambdagtWES system. Science. 1977 Apr 8;196(4286):175–177. doi: 10.1126/science.322278. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):499–560. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Murray M. J., Shilo B. Z., Shih C., Cowing D., Hsu H. W., Weinberg R. A. Three different human tumor cell lines contain different oncogenes. Cell. 1981 Aug;25(2):355–361. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90054-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Oroszlan S., Henderson L. E., Stephenson J. R., Copeland T. D., Long C. W., Ihle J. N., Gilden R. V. Amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of proteins coded by gag gene of murine leukemia virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Mar;75(3):1404–1408. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.3.1404. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rapp U. R., Birkenmeier E., Bonner T. I., Gonda M. A., Gunnell M. Genome structure of mink cell focus-forming murine leukemia virus in epithelial mink lung cells transformed vitro by iododeoxyuridine-induced C3H/MuLV cells. J Virol. 1983 Feb;45(2):740–754. doi: 10.1128/jvi.45.2.740-754.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rapp U. R., Reynolds F. H., Jr, Stephenson J. R. New mammalian transforming retrovirus: demonstration of a polyprotein gene product. J Virol. 1983 Mar;45(3):914–924. doi: 10.1128/jvi.45.3.914-924.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rapp U. R., Todaro C. Generation of new mouse sarcoma viruses in cell culture. Science. 1978 Sep 1;201(4358):821–824. doi: 10.1126/science.210501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rapp U. R., Todaro G. J. Generation of oncogenic mouse type C viruses: in vitro selection of carcinoma-inducing variants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jan;77(1):624–628. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.1.624. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rasheed S., Gardner M. B., Huebner R. J. In vitro isolation of stable rat sarcoma viruses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jun;75(6):2972–2976. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.6.2972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Robbins K. C., Devare S. G., Aaronson S. A. Molecular cloning of integrated simian sarcoma virus: genome organization of infectious DNA clones. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 May;78(5):2918–2922. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.5.2918. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Shibuya M., Hanafusa H., Balduzzi P. C. Cellular sequences related to three new onc genes of avian sarcoma virus (fps, yes, and ros) and their expression in normal and transformed cells. J Virol. 1982 Apr;42(1):143–152. doi: 10.1128/jvi.42.1.143-152.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Shibuya M., Hanafusa H. Nucleotide sequence of Fujinami sarcoma virus: evolutionary relationship of its transforming gene with transforming genes of other sarcoma viruses. Cell. 1982 Oct;30(3):787–795. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90283-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Shibuya M., Hanafusa T., Hanafusa H., Stephenson J. R. Homology exists among the transforming sequences of avian and feline sarcoma viruses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Nov;77(11):6536–6540. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.11.6536. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Shinnick T. M., Lerner R. A., Sutcliffe J. G. Nucleotide sequence of Moloney murine leukaemia virus. Nature. 1981 Oct 15;293(5833):543–548. doi: 10.1038/293543a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Spector D. H., Varmus H. E., Bishop J. M. Nucleotide sequences related to the transforming gene of avian sarcoma virus are present in DNA of uninfected vertebrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Sep;75(9):4102–4106. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.9.4102. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Srinivasan A., Reddy E. P., Aaronson S. A. Abelson murine leukemia virus: molecular cloning of infectious integrated proviral DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Apr;78(4):2077–2081. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.4.2077. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Stavnezer E., Gerhard D. S., Binari R. C., Balazs I. Generation of transforming viruses in cultures of chicken fibroblasts infected with an avian leukosis virus. J Virol. 1981 Sep;39(3):920–934. doi: 10.1128/jvi.39.3.920-934.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Stehelin D., Varmus H. E., Bishop J. M., Vogt P. K. DNA related to the transforming gene(s) of avian sarcoma viruses is present in normal avian DNA. Nature. 1976 Mar 11;260(5547):170–173. doi: 10.1038/260170a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Taub R., Kirsch I., Morton C., Lenoir G., Swan D., Tronick S., Aaronson S., Leder P. Translocation of the c-myc gene into the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus in human Burkitt lymphoma and murine plasmacytoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Dec;79(24):7837–7841. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.24.7837. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Varmus H. E. Form and function of retroviral proviruses. Science. 1982 May 21;216(4548):812–820. doi: 10.1126/science.6177038. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Vennström B., Bishop J. M. Isolation and characterization of chicken DNA homologous to the two putative oncogenes of avian erythroblastosis virus. Cell. 1982 Jan;28(1):135–143. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90383-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Wieslander L. A simple method to recover intact high molecular weight RNA and DNA after electrophoretic separation in low gelling temperature agarose gels. Anal Biochem. 1979 Oct 1;98(2):305–309. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(79)90145-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Young H. A., Gonda M. A., De Feo D., Ellis R. W., Nagashima K., Scolnick E. M. Heteroduplex analysis of cloned rat endogenous replication-defective (30 S) retrovirus and Harvey murine sarcoma virus. Virology. 1980 Nov;107(1):89–99. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(80)90275-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. de Klein A., van Kessel A. G., Grosveld G., Bartram C. R., Hagemeijer A., Bootsma D., Spurr N. K., Heisterkamp N., Groffen J., Stephenson J. R. A cellular oncogene is translocated to the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myelocytic leukaemia. Nature. 1982 Dec 23;300(5894):765–767. doi: 10.1038/300765a0. [DOI] [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