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K Beemon

Publications and source records attributed to K Beemon.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Expression of the PRC II avian sarcoma virus genome.

We found that the genomic RNA of the replication-defective avian sarcoma virus PRC II was 4.0 kilobases long. A Northern blot analysis of the viral RNAs present in PRC II-transformed cells showed that the PRC II genome was expressed as a single 4.0 kilobase mRNA species. In vitro translation of polyadenylic acid-containing 70S virion RNA yielded two highly related proteins of 110,000 and 105,000 daltons (P110 and P105), which were synthesized from messenger activity that sedimented as expected for the 4.0 kilobase PRC II genome (at 25 to 27S). P110 and P105 were identified as in vitro translation products of the PRC II genome by immunoprecipitation and tryptic peptide mapping and were the only PRC II-specific polypeptides detected by in vitro synthesis. In addition, we found that immune complexes prepared from PRC II 70S virion RNA in vitro translation products contained a tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. A comparison of the in vitro- and in vivo-synthesized proteins revealed that PRC II-transformed cells also contained 110,000- and 105,000-dalton proteins, which were indistinguishable from in vitro-synthesized P110 and P105 by electrophoretic mobility and tryptic peptide analysis. Both P110 and P105 were present in producer cells and in seven individual nonproducer clones. A pulse-chase analysis showed that P105 was the primary translation product of the PRC II genome and that P110 was derived from P105 by post-translational modification. Under conditions of long-term labeling with [35S]methionine, P110 and P105 were present in a molar ratio of approximately 1:1. These results indicated that the transformation-specific product of the PRC II genome, previously referred to as a single component (P105), actually consists of two polypeptides related by post-translational modification.

Alpharetrovirus↗

Transformation by avian sarcoma viruses leads to phosphorylation of multiple cellular proteins on tyrosine residues.

Phosphoamino acid compositions were determined for 10 size classes of cellular proteins, separated by electrophoresis through one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Phosphotyrosine-containing proteins were observed in uninfected chicken embryo fibroblasts in every size class analyzed, ranging from approximately 20,000 to greater than 200,000 daltons. Transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts by Rous sarcoma virus or PRC II avian sarcoma virus led to increases in phosphorylation of proteins at tyrosine residues in all of these size classes. A large fraction of the phosphotyrosine-containing protein molecules observed in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells was larger than 100,000 daltons with a second broad peak in the 35,000- to 60,000-dalton range. This study suggests that there are a number of substrates of viral or cellular tyrosine-specific protein kinases, which have not yet been identified by other methods.

Alpharetrovirus↗

Transforming proteins of some feline and avian sarcoma viruses are related structurally and functionally.

Transformation of chicken cells by Fujinami sarcoma virus (FSV), PRC II or Y73 (three independently isolated avian sarcoma viruses that are replication-defective and lack the Rous sarcoma virus src gene) resulted in significant elevation (4-13 fold) of phosphotyrosine levels in cellular protein. The gag-related proteins encoded by these avian sarcoma viruses (ASVs) were all associated with tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity when assayed in immune complexes and were phosphorylated at both tyrosine and serine residues in vivo. Both the phosphotyrosine level in protein of FSV-infected cells and the protein kinase activity assayed in immune complexes containing the FSV protein P140 were temperature-sensitive. The presumed transforming proteins of these ASVs were compared with those of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), Abelson murine leukemia virus and the Snyder-Theilen and Gardner-Arnstein strains of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV), which have previously been associated with tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. FSV and PRC II proteins were shown to be structurally related to one another and to the FeSV proteins by tryptic peptide mapping and by immunological studies. No homology was observed, however, between the transforming proteins of RSV, Y73, Abelson murine leukemia virus and the FSV/PRC II/FeSV class, suggesting there may be at least four classes of retroviruses whose transformation mechanisms involve aberrant phosphorylation of cellular protein at tyrosine residues.

Alpharetrovirus↗

Independent recombination between avian leukosis virus terminal sequences and host DNA in virus-induced proliferative disease.

A cDNA transcript of Rous sarcoma virus, which contained the long terminal repeat (LTR) and some additional 3'-terminal sequences, was inserted into the plasmid pBR322. This recombinant plasmid, p53, was then used as a hybridization probe to detect viral terminal sequences in DNA from a number of tissues of birds with a variety of avian leukosis virus (ALV)-induced proliferative diseases. Using restriction endonuclease digestion and blot hybridization analysis, we detected, in addition to standard ALV genomes, viral terminal sequences linked to host DNA and not to viral genes. In DNA from bursal lymphomas and nephroblastomas, we observed small numbers of integration sites occupied by sequences in p53 and lacking most or all of the remainder of the viral genome. In DNA from osteopetrosis, we observed apparently multiple copies of molecules containing host DNA linked to viral LTR sequences. Some of these structures were contained in discrete, probably unintegrated, DNA molecules. We concluded that viral LTR sequences can be inserted as independent elements during recombination with host DNA in some forms of interaction between exogenous retroviruses and host cells. Because the LTRs have been implicated in integration and transcription of viral genes, the possibility that translocation or activation, or both, of host genes may occur as a consequence of viral infection is reinforced by these observations.

Animals↗

Relationship of polypeptide products of the transforming gene of Rous sarcoma virus and the homologous gene of vertebrates.

All vertebrate cells have been shown to contain a gene, sarc, that has some homology with the transforming gene of Rous sarcoma virus, src. We have compared the polypeptide products of the sarc gene, p60(sarc), of human, mouse, and chicken cells with the polymorphic polypeptide product of the src gene, p60(src), of several strains of Rous sarcoma virus by two-dimensional peptide mapping. p60(sarc) from chicken cells was clearly related to every viral p60(src). Eleven of its 13 methionine-containing tryptic peptides were present in some viral p60(src). Conversely, the other two peptides were not present in any p60(src) we have examined so far. The 11 peptides from p60(sarc) of chickens that were shared with viral p60(src), however, were not all present in any single viral p60(src). These 11 peptides most closely resemble those in the p60(src)s of B77 virus and the Prague strain of Rous sarcoma virus. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that cellular sarc is the progenitor of viral src. The p60(sarc)s of human, mouse, and chicken cells were so similar in tryptic peptide composition that they were more closely related to each other than were some viral p60(src)s. The two mammalian p60(sarc)s differed from avian p60(sarc) most notably in that they lacked a peptide that chicken p60(sarc) shares with all the viral p60(src)s. The similarity of these maps suggests that the sequence of the p60(sarc) polypeptide has diverged very little during evolution. This may imply that p60(sarc) is an essential cellular component.

Animals↗

Origin and functional properties of the major gene product of the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus.

The only known product of the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus (ST-FeSV) is a 85,000-dalton protein, designated ST P85, that contains feline leukemia virus gag gene encoded proteins (p15, p12, and a fragment of p30) and a sarcoma virus-specific polypeptide. Antibodies directed against the latter immunoprecipitated a 92,000-dalton phosphoprotein (NCP 92) expressed at low levels in normal feline embryo fibroblasts as well as in feline cells of epithelial or lymphoid origin. Normal cellular proteins crossreactive with ST P85 were also detected in cell lines from various other mammalian species. These results suggest that the ST-FeSV sequences encoding for the sarcoma virus-specific domain of ST P85 originated from an evolutionarily conserved cellular gene expressed in cells of independent differentiation lineage. Immunoprecipitates containing ST-FeSV P85 exhibited a protein kinase activity that specifically phosphorylated tyrosine residues. The physiological significance of this finding is illustrated by the finding that phosphotyrosine is an intrinsic component of ST P85. Furthermore, 5- to-fold higher levels of this unusual phosphorylated amino acid were present in ST-FeSV transformants than in uninfected control cells. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues appears to be associated with cellular transformation caused by Rous sarcoma virus and Abelson murine leukemia virus. Thus, independent transforming virus isolates from birds, mice, and cats may utilize common pathways in exerting their oncogenic potential.

Animals↗

Studies on the structure and function of the avian sarcoma virus transforming-gene product.

The protein kinase activity associated with pp60src of a mutant of RSV temperature sensitive for transformation was shown to be sixfold more labile than that of its wild-type parent at 45 degrees C when pp60src's synthesized in vitro were compared. Thus, a mutant that is temperature sensitive for transformation has a temperature-sensitive protein kinase activity. Analysis of the levels of protein kinase activity in immunoprecipitates from cells infected with four different temperature-sensitive mutants of RSV led to the surprising finding that two mutants had barely detectable levels of protein kinase activity even at the permissive temperature, whereas two others had levels of activity at the nonpremissive temperatures that were as great as 40% that of wild-type pp60src. Protein kinase activity of pp60src of NY68 was partially renatured when cells were shifted from 41 degrees C to 36 degrees C. This reactivation occurred in less than an hour and did not require protein synthesis. It was found that pp60src synthesized in vitro is phosphorylated. Finally, the methionine-containing tryptic peptides of pp60sarc immunoprecipitated from uninfected chick cells were very similar to those of viral pp60src.

Animals↗

Temperature-sensitive transformation by Rous sarcoma virus and temperature-sensitive protein kinase activity.

The transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus, p60src, has associated with it a protein kinase activity. We examined whether a correlation exists between the cellular concentration of enzymatically active p60src and the degree to which chick cells are transformed by mutants of Rous sarcoma virus which are temperature-sensitive for transformation. Such a correlation does exist, but cells infected with some mutants could be shown to contain, at the nonpermissive temperature, an amount of protein kinase activity equal to 30 to 40% of that in a wild-type transformed cell. We quantified the amount of virus-induced protein kinase activity by precipitation of p60src with an excess of antitumor antiserum. Our initial measurements of activity were serious underestimates, due to the lability of the protein kinase activity associated with p60src of at least four temperature-sensitive mutants. In fact, no activity at all was associated with p60src of tsLA90 when immunoprecipitation was performed by standard means. However, when immunoprecipitation was performed with procedures which minimize inactivation, it became apparent both that cells transformed by tsLA90 contained protein kinase activity and that cells infected with either NY68 or BK5 contained at the nonpermissive temperature, one-third to one-half as much activity as wild-type transformed cells. This level of activity was much more than that arising from p60sarc in uninfected cells. In uninfected cells we found an amount of protein kinase activity which varied from 3 to 5% as much as that in a virally transformed cell. The lability of the protein kinase activity of each of these mutants is a further demonstration that this activity is essential for the transformation of cells by Rous sarcoma virus. So as to explain the high protein kinase levels in cells infected with NY68 and BK5 at the nonpermissive temperature, the idea that transformation may be a response to a small quantitative change in the total activity of p60src and the possibility that there may be more than one viral function which is essential for transformation are discussed.

Animals↗

Polymorphism of avian sarcoma virus src proteins.

The src gene products of seven different avian sarcoma viruses were compared. In vitro translation of virion RNA yielded products identified unambiguously as p60src in the case of two stocks of the Schmidt-Ruppin strain, three stocks of the Prague strain, the Bryan strain, and the Bratislava 77 strain of avian sarcoma virus. Differences in the electrophoretic mobility of these seven p60src proteins in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, corresponding to variation in the apparent molecular weights ranging from 56,000 to 60,500, were observed. Antigenic variability was also found; only three of the seven viruses tested encoded a p60src, which was precipitated by antisera derived from rabbits bearing tumors induced by the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus. Examination of the methionine-containing tryptic peptides of the seven ;60src proteins by two-dimensional mapping revealed four common peptides but marked variability in the five to eight other peptides in each protein. Clear differences in the peptide maps of p60src were observed, both between different strains of virus and within strains. In the three cases examined, p60src synthesized in transformed cells was found to be essentially identical to that synthesized in vitro. We conclude that there is significant polymorphism in the p60src proteins of the avian sarcoma viruses.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗

Product of in vitro translation of the Rous sarcoma virus src gene has protein kinase activity.

In vitro translation of Rous sarcoma virus virion RNA resulted in the synthesis of a protein kinase which, when immunoprecipitated with antitumor serum, phosphorylated the immunoglobulin heavy chain. Even though in vitro translation of virion RNA resulted in the synthesis of a number of polypeptides which were recognized by antitumor serum, control experiments demonstrated that an immunoprecipitable protein kinase activity was found only when an immunoprecipitable p60src, the polypeptide product of the src gene, was synthesized. A protein kinase with similar properties was therefore intimately associated with p60src which was synthesized in vitro in the reticulocyte lysate, just as it is with p60src which is obtained from transformed chick and mammalian cells. It is therefore highly unlikely that this association is artifactual. ts NY68 is a mutant of Rous sarcoma virus which is able to transform cells at 36 but not at 41 degrees C. In vitro translation of ts NY68 virion RNA at 30 degrees C resulted in efficient synthesis of immunoprecipitable p60src, but very inefficient synthesis of an immunoprecipitable protein kinase. The p60src obtained by in vitro translation of wild-type virion RNA was more than 20-fold more active as a protein kinase than was that obtained from ts NY68 RNA. The correlation in the case of ts NY68 of a deficiency in protein kinase activity with an inability to transform cells at high temperature suggests that the protein kinase activity associated with p60src is indeed critical to cellular transformation.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗

Characterization of Rous sarcoma virus src gene products synthesized in vitro.

The cell-free synthesis of three major proteins from virion RNA of nondefective Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), but not from RNA of transformation-defective deletion mutants, has been observed. The apparent molecular weights of these transformation-specific proteins are approximately 60,000 (60K), 25K, and 17K. Tryptic maps of methionine-containing peptides revealed the 17K, 25K, and 60K proteins to be overlapping in sequence. However, only partial homology was observed between the 17K, 25K and 60K proteins synthesized from Schmidt-Ruppin strain, subgroup D, RSV RNA and those synthesized from Prague strain, subgroup B, RSV, RNA. About half of the methionine peptides in the Schmidt-Ruppin strain, subgroup D, 60K protein were shared with the Prague strain, subgroup D, 60K protein, and the rest were distinct to each. The virion RNAs coding for the 60K, 25K, and 17K proteins were found to be polyadenylated and to sediment with maximal mRNA activity at about 23, 19 to 20, and 18S, respectively. In addition, transformation-specific proteins with molecular weights of 39K and 33K were observed by in vitro synthesis. These proteins are also related to the 60K, 25K, and 17K proteins and were synthesized from polyadenylated RSV RNA of approximately 21 to 22S. RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides were analyzed in parallel, and the src-specific oligonucleotides were found to be first present in equimolar amounts in those gradient fractions sedimenting at 21 to 22S. Our data suggest that synthesis of the 60K protein is initiated near the 5' terminus of the src gene, whereas the 39K, 33K, 25K, and 17K proteins are initiated internally in the src gene. All of these proteins appear to be initiated independently, but they may have a common termination site.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗

Comparison of the expression of the src gene of Rous sarcoma virus in vitro and in vivo.

We have compared the polypeptide products of the src gene of several strains of Rous sarcoma virus produced by in vitro translation of heat-denatured 70S virion RNA in the nuclease-treated reticulocyte lysate with those present in chick cells transformed by these viruses. We have done this by immunoprecipitation, using sera from rabbits injected at birth with Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus. In vitro translation results in the synthesis of at least nine polypeptides which appear to be encoded by the src gene. These range in size from 17,000 to 60,000 daltons. The sera from tumor-bearing rabbits precipitated these polypeptides arising from the in vitro translation of RNA from Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus of both subgroup A and subgroup D and from one stock of Prague Rous sarcoma virus of subgroup C. In each case, all of this family of related polypeptides could be precipitated except the smallest, the 17,000-dalton polypeptide. No precipitation of analogous polypeptides resulting from the translation of RNA from other strains of Rous sarcoma virus was observed. Cells transformed by these three strains of Rous sarcoma virus contain easily detectable amounts of a polypeptide, p60src, essentially identical to the 60,000-dalton in vitro product. With one exception, they do not contain significant amounts of polypeptides analogous to the smaller in vitro products which can be precipitated by these sera. Cells transformed by one stock of Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus of subgroup A did contain a 39,000-dalton polypeptide, which was related, by peptide mapping, to the 60,000-dalton polypeptide and was similar in size to a precipitable in vitro product. The 60,000-dalton polypeptide present in transformed cells appeared to be phosphorylated 10 to 25 min after its synthesis, metabolically very stable, and not derived from a precursor polypeptide. All immunoprecipitates from transformed cells which contained p60src also contained an 80,000-dalton phosphoprotein. This polypeptide is unrelated to p60src, as determined by peptide mapping, and may well be a host cell polypeptide which is specifically associated with p60src.

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗

In vitro translation yields a possible Rous sarcoma virus src gene product.

In vitro translation of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) virion RNA in the messenger-dependent reticulocyte lysate system yielded polypeptides that were not synthesized by translation of RNA from a transformation-defective deletion mutant of RSV. These RSV-specific products migrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels as two doublets of approximately 25,000 and 17,000 daltons. Synthesis of these proteins was not sensitive to inhibition by m7GTP; however, synthesis of the 76,000-dalton precursor of the internal structural proteins was sensitive to inhibition by m7GTP. Tryptic peptide maps showed the 25,000- and 17,000-dalton proteins to be related to one another but to be distinct from the 76,000-dalton protein. The 25,000-dalton protein was translated only from a polyadenylylated RNA of approximately 2500 nucleotides, whereas the 76,000-dalton protein was translated from 38S RNA, corresponding to the entire viral genome. A 180,000-dalton protein was also synthesized from 38S RSV virion RNA. From the absence of the 25,000- and 17,000-dalton proteins in the translation products of transformation-defective RSV RNA and the size of their RNA templates, we conclude that these proteins may be derived from coding sequences within the RSV src gene.

Animals↗

Relationship between Moloney murine leukemia and sarcoma virus RNAs: purification and hybridization map of complementary DNAs from defined regions of Moloney murine sarcoma virus 124.

Complementary DNAs (cDNA's) specific for various regions of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus (MSV) 124 RNA genome were prepared by cross-hybridization techniques. A cDNA specific for the first 1,000 nucleotides adjacent to the RNA 3' end (cDNA 3') was prepared and shown to also be complementary to the 3'-terminal 1,000 nucleotides of a related Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) genome. A cDNA complementary to the "MSV-specific" portion of the MSV 124 genome was prepared. This cDNA was shown not to anneal to Moloney MLV RNA and to anneal to a portion of the viral RNA of about 1,500 to 1,800 nucleotides in length, located 1,000 nucleotides from the 3' end of MSV RNA. A cDNA common to the genome of MSV and MLV was also obtained and shown to anneal to the 5'-terminal two-thirds, as well as to the 3'-terminal 1,000 nucleotides, of the MSV RNA genome. This cDNA also annealed to the RNA from MLV and mainly to the 5'-terminal half of the MLV genome. It is concluded that the 6-kilobase Moloney MSV 124 RNA genome has a sequence arrangement that includes (i) a 3' portion of about 1,000 nucleotides, which is also present at the 3' terminus of MLV; (ii) an MSV-specific region, not shared with MLV, which extends between 1,000 and 2,500 nucleotides from the 3' terminus; and (iii) a second "common" region, again shared with MLV, which extends from 2,500 nucleotides to the 5' terminus. This second common region appears to be located in the 5' half of the 10-kilobase MLV genome as well. Experiments in which a large excess of cold MLV cDNA was annealed to (3)H-labeled polyadenylic acid-containing fragments of MSV RNA gave results consistent with this arrangement of the MSV genome.

Base Sequence↗

Sequences and functions of Rous sarcoma virus RNA.

A procedure has been developed to map the genetic elements of avian tumor virus RNA, which has a molecular weight of about 3 X 10(6) daltons and a poly(A) sequence at the 3' end. For this purpose, about 30 RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides were ordered relative to the 3'-poly(A) terminus of the RNA, to construct an oligonucleotide map of viral RNAs. A cluster of seven envelope gene (env)-specific oligonucleotides, identified by their absence from the otherwise very similar oligonucleotide map of an envelope-defective deletion mutant (which lacks the major viral glycoprotein), mapped at a distance of 0.9 to 1.6 X 10(6) daltons from the poly(A) end of sarcoma virus RNA. A cluster of three sarcoma gene (src)-specific oligonucleotides, identified by their absence from the otherwise nearly identical oligonucleotide map of a transformation-defective deletion mutant mapped at a distance of 0.2 to 0.6 X 10(6) daltons from the poly(A) end of sarcoma virus RNA. The oligonucleotide maps of sarcoma viruses and of related deletion mutants were the same from the poly(A) end up to 0.2 X 10(6) daltons and included one terminal oligonucleotide, termed C, which is found in all avian tumor viruses tested so far. Preliminary mapping experiments ordering the src-specific and env-specific oligonucleotides of recombinants, selected for sarcoma and envelope genes of different parents, agree with those obtained by comparing maps of wild type viruses and deletion mutants. A partial genetic map consistent with these results suggests that the src gene maps between the env gene and the 3'-poly(A) end of viral RNA. This map reads: poly(A)-src-env-(pol, gag).

Avian Sarcoma Viruses↗