Transformation mediated by the SV40 T antigens: separation of the overlapping SV40 early genes with a retroviral vector

Human Virus Transcriptional Regulators

Viral genomes encode transcriptional regulators that alter the expression of viral and host genes. Despite an emerging role in human diseases, a thorough annotation of human viral transcriptional regulators (vTRs) is currently lacking, limiting our understanding of their molecular features and functions. Here, we provide a comprehensive catalog of 419 vTRs belonging to 20 different virus families. Using this catalog, we characterize shared and unique cellular genes, proteins, and pathways targeted by particular vTRs and discuss the role of vTRs in human disease pathogenesis. Our study provides a unique and valuable resource for the fields of virology, genomics, and human disease genetics.

Generation of human cell lines using lentiviral-mediated genetic engineering

Even now, most human cell lines used in research are derived from tumor cells. They are still widely used because they grow well in vitro and so far have helped answering several basic biological questions. However, as modern biology moves into more sophisticated areas, scientists now need human cell lines closer to normal primary cells and further from transformed cancerous cells. The recent identification of cellular genes involved in cell cycling and senescence, together with the development of molecular tools capable of cleanly integrating transgenes into the genome of target cells, have moved the frontier of genetic engineering. In this chapter, we present a detailed hands-on protocol, based on lentivirus-derived vectors and a combination of two native cellular genes that has proven very efficient in generating immortal cell lines from several human primary cells, while preserving most of their original properties.

Simian virus 40 transformation, malignant mesothelioma and brain tumors

Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a DNA virus isolated in 1960 from contaminated polio vaccines, that induces mesotheliomas, lymphomas, brain and bone tumors, and sarcomas, including osteosarcomas, in hamsters. These same tumor types have been found to contain SV40 DNA and proteins in humans. Mesotheliomas and brain tumors are the two tumor types that have been most consistently associated with SV40, and the range of positivity has varied about from 6 to 60%, although a few reported 100% of positivity and a few reported 0%. It appears unlikely that SV40 infection alone is sufficient to cause human malignancy, as we did not observe an epidemic of cancers following the administration of SV40-contaminated vaccines. However, it seems possible that SV40 may act as a cofactor in the pathogenesis of some tumors. In vitro and animal experiments showing cocarcinogenicity between SV40 and asbestos support this hypothesis.

Production of spliced DNA copies of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus genome in a retroviral vector

The early region of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) genome has been introduced into a retroviral vector and recombinant retroviruses, produced upon transfection of the psi 2 packaging cell line, have been used to infect NIH 3T3 cells. Spliced derivatives of the CRPV early region can be rescued from the infected cells. Sequence analysis demonstrates that the major splicing event observed in RNA in tumours is faithfully reproduced in this system. This splice generates a polycistronic mRNA that contains in its 5' portion the E7 open reading frame, or both E6 and E7, and at its 3' end a reading frame with codons for three amino acids from the N-terminus of E1 linked to codons for 100 amino acids from the C-terminus of the E4 region. Recombinant retroviruses containing intact or spliced CRPV sequences can now be used to introduce the viral genes efficiently into a variety of cell lines.

Cooperation of hTERT, SV40 T antigen and oncogenic Ras in tumorigenesis: a cell transplantation model using bovine adrenocortical cells

Expression of TERT, the reverse transcriptase component of telomerase, is necessary to convert normal human cells to cancer cells. Despite this, "telomerization" by hTERT does not appear to alter the normal properties of cells. In a cell transplantation model in which bovine adrenocortical cells form vascularized tissue structures beneath the kidney capsule in scid mice, telomerization does not perturb the functional tissue-forming capacity of the cells. This cell transplantation model was used to study the cooperation of hTERT with SV40 T antigen (SV40 TAg) and oncogenic Ras in tumorigenesis. Only cells expressing all three genes were tumorigenic; this required large T, but not small t, antigen. These cells produced a continuously expanding tissue mass; they were invasive with respect to adjacent organs and eventually destroyed the kidney. Cells expressing only hTERT or only Ras produced minimally altered tissues. In contrast, SV40 TAg alone produced noninvasive nodules beneath the kidney capsule that had high proliferation rates balanced by high rates of apoptosis. The use of cell transplantation techniques in a cell type that is able to form tissue structures with or without full neoplastic conversion allows the phenotypes produced by individual cooperating oncogenes to be observed.

Inhibition of SV40 large T antigen induced apoptosis by small T antigen

It is well established that the expression of simian virus 40 (SV40) early gene products causes oncogenic transformation of rodent cells. An important aspect of this process is the inactivation of the p53 and retinoblastoma (pRb) tumour suppressor proteins through interaction with the SV40 large tumour antigen (LT). In addition, the SV40 small tumour antigen (ST) may enhance LT induced transformation. Here we show that LT induces apoptotic cell death in rat embryo fibroblast (REF) cells and that ST functions to inhibit this effect by a mechanism which is different from other known anti-apoptotic proteins. Mutational analysis of LT indicates that mutants defective in the pRb-binding domain are unable to induce apoptosis whereas LT mutants defective in the p53-binding domain are still competent to induce apoptosis. Thus, interaction between LT and one or more pRb family members must occur for induction of apoptosis and that binding of p53 by LT is insufficient to inhibit LT induced apoptosis in REFs. The data presented herein suggest that the anti-apoptotic function of ST may explain, at least in part, how ST contributes to SV40 early region induced transformation of REF cells.

Activation of gene expression by a non-transforming unmyristylated-SH3-deleted mutant of Src is dependent upon Tyr-527

v-Src transcriptionally induces gene expression by activating several transcriptional response elements such as the serum response element (SRE), the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) response element (TRE), and the c-AMP response element (CRE) found in the promoters of several proliferation-related immediate early genes. We report here that a Src protein, with a deletion in the SH3 domain and lacking a membrane localization signal, strongly activates gene expression mediated by SRE, TRE and CRE transcriptional control elements. This mutant was unable to cause cellular transformation, suggesting that activation of these transcriptional control elements is not sufficient for the induction of a transformed phenotype by Src. Interestingly, the ability of the membrane localization and SH3 deletion mutant to activate gene expression was abolished upon conversion of the C-terminal inhibitory Tyr-527 to Phe. These data suggest the existence of previously unreported Tyr-527-dependent activation of intracellular signals that activate gene expression. These data raise the possibility that Src may exert physiological effects via an interaction between Tyr-527 and an SH2-containing protein that would interact with the phosphorylated form of Tyr-527.

Association between v-Src and protein kinase C delta in v-Src-transformed fibroblasts

In response to the kinase activity of v-Src there is an increase in the membrane association of the novel protein kinase C (PKC) isoform PKC delta (Zang, Q., Frankel, P., and Foster, D. A. (1995) Cell Growth Differ. 6, 1367-1373). We report here that in v-Src-transformed cells PKC delta co-immunoprecipitates with v-Src and is phosphorylated on tyrosine. The tyrosine-phosphorylated PKC delta had reduced enzymatic activity relative to the non-tyrosine-phosphorylated PKC delta from v-Src-transformed cells. The association between Src and PKC delta was dependent upon both an active Src kinase and membrane association. The association between c-Src Y527F and PKC delta was substantially enhanced by mutating a PKC phosphorylation site at Ser-12 in Src to Ala indicating that PKC delta phosphorylation of Src at Ser-12 destabilizes the interaction, possibly in a negative feedback loop. These data demonstrate that upon recruitment of PKC delta to the membrane in v-Src-transformed cells there is the formation of a Src.PKC delta complex in which PKC delta becomes phosphorylated on tyrosine and down-regulated.

Mitogenic signals and transforming potential of Nyk, a newly identified neural cell adhesion molecule-related receptor tyrosine kinase

Nyk/Mer is a recently identified receptor tyrosine kinase with neural cell adhesion molecule-like structure (two immunoglobulin G-like domains and two fibronectin III-like domains) in its extracellular region and belongs to the Ufo/Axl family of receptors. The ligand for Nyk/Mer is presently unknown, as are the signal transduction pathways mediated by this receptor. We constructed and expressed a chimeric receptor (Fms-Nyk) composed of the extracellular domain of the human colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (Fms) and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of human Nyk/Mer in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts in order to investigate the mitogenic signaling and biochemical properties of Nyk/Mer. Colony-stimulating factor 1 stimulation of the Fms-Nyk chimeric receptor in transfected NIH 3T3 fibroblasts leads to a transformed phenotype and generates a proliferative response in the absence of other growth factors. We show that phospholipase C gamma, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/p70 S6 kinase, Shc, Grb2, Raf-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase are downstream components of the Nyk/Mer signal transduction pathways. In addition, Nyk/Mer weakly activates p90rsk, while stress-activated protein kinase, Ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP), and GAP-associated p62 and p190 proteins are not activated or tyrosine phosphorylated by Nyk/Mer. An analysis comparing the Nyk/Mer signal cascade with that of the epidermal growth factor receptor indicates substrate preferences by these two receptors. Our results provide a detailed description of the Nyk/Mer signaling pathways. Given the structural similarity between the Ufo/Axl family receptors, some of the information may also be applied to other members of this receptor tyrosine kinase family.

Modulation of erbB kinase activity and oncogenic potential by single point mutations in the glycine loop of the catalytic domain

Avian c-erbB is activated to a leukemia oncogene following truncation of its amino-terminal ligand-binding domain by retroviral insertion. The insertionally activated transcripts encode protein products which have constitutive tyrosine kinase activity and can induce erythroleukemia but not sarcomas. We have previously found that a valine-to-isoleucine point mutation at position 157 (V157I mutant) within the tyrosine kinase domain of this truncated erbB can dramatically activate the sarcomagenic potential of the oncogene and increase the kinase activity of this oncoprotein. This mutation lies at position 157 of the insertionally activated c-erbB product, affecting a highly conserved valine residue of the glycine loop involved in ATP binding and phosphate transfer. To investigate the functional importance of this residue in the catalytic activity of kinases, we have introduced at this position, by site-directed mutagenesis, codons representing the remaining 18 amino acid residues. Most of the mutants have diminished activity, with six of them completely devoid of kinase activity, indicating the sensitivity of this region to conformational changes. Some of these mutants displayed increased kinase activity and greater transforming potential in comparison with IA c-erbB, but none had levels as high as those of the V157I mutant. In general, the sarcomagenic potential of the various erbB mutants correlated with their autophosphorylation state and their ability to cause phosphorylation of MAP kinase. However, there are important exceptions such as the V157G mutant, which lacks enhanced autophosphorylation but is highly sarcomagenic. Studies of this and other autophosphorylation site mutants point to the existence of an autophosphorylation-independent pathway in sarcomagenesis. The requirement for leukemogenic potential is much less stringent and correlates with positivity of kinase activity. When the valine-to-isoleucine substitution was put in context of the full-length erbB protein, the mutation relaxed the ligand dependence and had a positive effect on the transforming potential of the full-length c-erbB.

Modulation of erbB kinase activity and oncogenic potential by single point mutations in the glycine loop of the catalytic domain

Avian c-erbB is activated to a leukemia oncogene following truncation of its amino-terminal ligand-binding domain by retroviral insertion. The insertionally activated transcripts encode protein products which have constitutive tyrosine kinase activity and can induce erythroleukemia but not sarcomas. We have previously found that a valine-to-isoleucine point mutation at position 157 (V157I mutant) within the tyrosine kinase domain of this truncated erbB can dramatically activate the sarcomagenic potential of the oncogene and increase the kinase activity of this oncoprotein. This mutation lies at position 157 of the insertionally activated c-erbB product, affecting a highly conserved valine residue of the glycine loop involved in ATP binding and phosphate transfer. To investigate the functional importance of this residue in the catalytic activity of kinases, we have introduced at this position, by site-directed mutagenesis, codons representing the remaining 18 amino acid residues. Most of the mutants have diminished activity, with six of them completely devoid of kinase activity, indicating the sensitivity of this region to conformational changes. Some of these mutants displayed increased kinase activity and greater transforming potential in comparison with IA c-erbB, but none had levels as high as those of the V157I mutant. In general, the sarcomagenic potential of the various erbB mutants correlated with their autophosphorylation state and their ability to cause phosphorylation of MAP kinase. However, there are important exceptions such as the V157G mutant, which lacks enhanced autophosphorylation but is highly sarcomagenic. Studies of this and other autophosphorylation site mutants point to the existence of an autophosphorylation-independent pathway in sarcomagenesis. The requirement for leukemogenic potential is much less stringent and correlates with positivity of kinase activity. When the valine-to-isoleucine substitution was put in context of the full-length erbB protein, the mutation relaxed the ligand dependence and had a positive effect on the transforming potential of the full-length c-erbB.

Isoforms of the avian TrkC receptor: a novel kinase insertion dissociates transformation and process outgrowth from survival

TrkC receptor isoforms have been identified by cDNA cloning and RT-PCR analysis of embryonic chick brain RNA. An N-terminal truncation motif is missing from the signal sequence and first cysteine cluster of the extracellular domain. Within the cytoplasmic dimain, a kinase truncation motif retains part of the kinase domain, but appeared to lack activity. Finally, a kinase insert (KI) motif introduces a 25 amino acid sequence distinct from the known mammalian inserts. KI receptors, like full-length receptors, were tyrosine phosphorylated in response to NT-3 and mediated the transformation of chick embryo fibroblasts and process outgrowth from rat PC12 cells. However, KI receptors supported little, if any, survival of serum-deprived PC12 cells. These results indicate that alternative splicing of trkC transcripts is an important mechanism for regulating cellular responses to NT-3.

Activation of the silent progesterone receptor gene by ectopic expression of estrogen receptors in a rat fibroblast cell line

We describe the construction and characterization of a novel estrogen (E2)-responsive cell line, Rat1+ER, which ectopically expresses estrogen receptor (ER). Human ER cDNA was introduced by retrovirus-mediated gene transfer into the Rat1 cell line, which does not express functional ER endogenously. Rat1+ER cells express functional ER based on radioreceptor assays, immunoblotting, and transient transfection experiments using E2-responsive reporter plasmids. The effects of this ectopic ER expression were studied on three endogenous E2-responsive genes, prolactin (PRL), progesterone receptor (PR), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). PRL, usually expressed in the lactotrophs of the pituitary, is not expressed at all in Rat1+ER cells, with or without E2 addition, and appears to require other factors for expression. In contrast, although PR is not expressed in Rat1 cells, it is induced in Rat1+ER cells upon the addition of E2. This induction appears to occur at the transcriptional level and is insensitive to cycloheximide treatment. This is one of the few examples where the expression of one gene activates an otherwise silent gene. Another contrasting observation is that, although EGFR is basally expressed in Rat1+ER cells, the addition of E2 has no effect. Our studies paint a complicated picture of E2 regulation of endogenous genes: the activation of the PR gene may only require the presence of E2 and ER, whereas EGFR and PRL genes require factors in addition to ER for basal as well as E2-regulated expression.

Primary rat cells expressing a hybrid polyomavirus-simian virus 40 large T antigen have altered growth properties

Expression of simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen efficiently immortalizes and transforms primary cells. We previously reported that a hybrid polyomavirus-SV40 large T antigen, PyT1-521-SVT336-708, binds to both p53 and pRb but does not transform an established rat cell line (J. J. Manfredi and C. Prives, J. Virol. 64:5250-5259, 1990). Here we show that this hybrid large T antigen is capable of immortalizing primary rat cells. Plasmids that express resistance to G418 sulfate and either SV40 large T antigen or PyT1-521-SVT336-708 were transfected into primary rat embryo fibroblasts, and cell lines were established. The cell lines that expressed PyT1-521-SVT336-708 were not fully transformed but did exhibit altered growth properties. Although these PyT1-521-SVT336-708-expressing lines did not form foci, they did grow in low serum and grew to a high saturation density; these cell lines also formed colonies in soft agar, but their colonies were much smaller than those seen with an SV40 large-T-antigen-expressing line. PyT1-521-SVT336-708 also demonstrated the ability to cooperate with activated Ha-ras to form foci on primary rat embryo fibroblasts. Surprisingly, two types of morphologies in such lines were observed: refractile and spindle shaped. Although there was no correlation between T-antigen level and morphology, all lines that displayed refractile morphology expressed high levels of p21ras. Since the p53 binding activity of PyT1-521-SVT336-708 appears to be intact, these results suggest that there are functions residing in the amino end of SV40 large T antigen which are necessary for full transformation that are missing from the amino end of polyomavirus large T antigen. Conversely, conferring the ability to bind to p53 on an amino-terminal fragment of polyomavirus large T antigen, although not enough to allow full transformation function, does increase its oncogenic activity in saturation density and soft agar growth assays.

Analysis of simian virus 40 small t antigen-induced progression of rat F111 cells minimally transformed by large T antigen

Minimal transformants of rat F111 fibroblasts were established after infection with the large T antigen (large T)-encoding retroviral expression vector pZIPTEX (M. Brown, M. McCormack, K. Zinn, M. Farrell, I. Bikel, and D. Livingston, J. Virol. 60:290-293, 1986). Coexpression of small t antigen (small t) in these cells efficiently led to their progression toward a significantly enhanced transformed phenotype. Small t forms a complex with phosphatase 2A and thereby might influence cellular phosphorylation processes, including the phosphorylation of large T. Since phosphorylation can modulate the transforming activity of large T, we asked whether the phosphorylation status of large T in minimally transformed cells might differ from that of large T in maximally transformed FR(wt648) cells and whether it might be altered by coexpression of small t. We found the phosphate turnover on large T in minimally transformed cells significantly different from that in fully transformed cells. This resulted in underphosphorylation of large T in minimally transformed cells at phosphorylation sites previously shown to be involved in the regulation of the transforming activity of large T. However, coexpression of small t in the minimally transformed cells did not alter the phosphate turnover on large T during progression; i.e., it did not induce a change in the steady-state phosphorylation of large T. This suggests that the helper function of small t during the progression of these cells was not mediated by modulating phosphatase 2A activity toward large T.

Expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) chimeras in renal epithelial cells. Retention of appropriate physiological responsiveness using enhancerless retroviral vectors

We used an enhancerless U3 mutant retroviral vector to deliver chimeras of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter region to a renal epithelial cell line capable of expressing PEPCK mRNA. Chimeras consisting of the PEPCK promoter and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, neomycin phosphotransferase or human growth hormone genes were expressed after viral infection of the NRK52E renal epithelial cell line. Virus-delivered sequences in which the direction of PEPCK promoter transcription was antegrade to the normal direction of the long terminal repeat (LTR)-initiated transcription correctly upon stimulation with dexamethasone or 8-bromo cyclic AMP and upon lowering of the extracellular pH. Fluorescent primer extension in situ using primers specific for virus-delivered sequences of antegrade constructs indicated that a large fraction of NRK52E cells could be infected by co-cultivation with virus-producing psi-2 cells without G418 selection. Virus-delivered constructs whose orientation was opposite to that of the LTRs were expressed at very low levels, with transcripts detectable by PCR only in RNA from cyclic AMP-treated cells. Using reverse transcription/PCR, we demonstrated that the chimeric transcripts were from the internal PEPCK promoter rather than a functional or reconstituted Moloney LTR. PEPCK-reporter chimeras delivered by retroviral vectors demonstrated a level of expression more consistent with the level of expression of the native PEPCK gene than did transfected chimeras. This expression system should prove useful for studies of the physiological modulation of gene expression in renal tissues.

Induction of HIV-specific CTL and antibody responses in mice using retroviral vector-transduced cells

Recombinant retroviral vectors can efficiently transduce and express foreign genes in mammalian cells. We have examined the utility of retroviral vector-mediated gene transfer to deliver genes which encode human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV) antigens capable of stimulating specific immune responses. Murine fibroblast cell lines were transduced with a nonreplicating murine retroviral vector carrying the gene encoding the HIV-IIIB envelope protein and were shown to express the gp160/120 protein. Mice immunized with syngeneic vector-transduced cells developed CD8+, class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for targets expressing the HIV envelope protein. The CTL also exhibited lytic activity on target cells coated with synthetic peptides derived from the gp120 V3 hypervariable region of both the HIV-IIIB and HIV(MN) isolates. Following adoptive transfer in a murine tumor model, these CTL were shown to be effective in vivo by their ability to eliminate established tumor cells expressing the HIV protein. Vector-transduced syngeneic cells were also capable of eliciting HIV envelope-specific antibody responses in immunized mice. Sera obtained from these mice were found to bind to the HIV-IIIB gp160 protein as well as a peptide-defined neutralizing antibody epitope contained within the V3 domain of gp120. These sera exhibited virus-neutralizing activity in that they markedly reduced the ability of HIV to infect and form syncytia of a human T-cell line. This is the first demonstration that cells transduced with a retroviral vector encoding the HIV-IIIB envelope protein are capable of inducing effective HIV-specific cellular and humoral immune responses in mice.

Dephosphorylation of simian virus 40 large-T antigen and p53 protein by protein phosphatase 2A: inhibition by small-t antigen

Simian virus 40 (SV40) large-T antigen and the cellular protein p53 were phosphorylated in vivo by growing cells in the presence of 32Pi. The large-T/p53 complex was isolated by immunoprecipitation and used as a substrate for protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) consisting of the catalytic subunit (C) and the two regulatory subunits, A and B. Three different purified forms of PP2A, including free C, the AC form, and the ABC form, could readily dephosphorylate both proteins. With both large-T and p53, the C subunit was most active, followed by the AC form, which was more active than the ABC form. The activity of all three forms of PP2A toward these proteins was strongly stimulated by manganese ions and to a lesser extent by magnesium ions. The presence of complexed p53 did not affect the dephosphorylation of large-T antigen by PP2A. The dephosphorylation of individual phosphorylation sites of large-T and p53 were determined by two-dimensional peptide mapping. Individual sites within large-T and p53 were dephosphorylated at different rates by all three forms of PP2A. The phosphates at Ser-120 and Ser-123 of large-T, which affect binding to the origin of SV40 DNA, were removed most rapidly. Three of the six major phosphopeptides of p53 were readily dephosphorylated, while the remaining three were relatively resistant to PP2A. Dephosphorylation of most of the sites in large-T and p53 by the AC form was inhibited by SV40 small-t antigen. The inhibition was most apparent for those sites which were preferentially dephosphorylated. Inhibition was specific for the AC form; no effect was observed on the dephosphorylation of either protein by the free C subunit or the ABC form. The inhibitory effect of small-t on dephosphorylation by PP2A could explain its role in transformation.

Clonal dominance of select subsets of viral Kirsten ras(+)-transformed 3T3 cells during tumor progression

Long-term culturing of viral Kirsten-ras-oncogene (v-Ki-ras)-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells (KiMSV) selectively enriches for cells which have deleted the viral oncogene. In contrast, v-Ki-ras in vivo is amplified and expression increased in all late-stage tumors and lung metastases relative to late-passage KiMSV cells being injected. The nature and significance of these selection processes, in terms of the v-Ki-ras gene, have been explored using genetically-tagged cells, as have the properties of v-Ki-ras- revertant subclones. Inoculation of KiMSV late-passage cells (containing less than 5% v-Ki-ras+ cells) into nude mice, generated primary and lung metastatic tumors with the v-Ki-ras gene at increased dosage in all tumors and their single-cell clones, isolated at both early and late stages of tumor development; this demonstrates early and specific in vivo selection for v-Ki-ras+ cells in both induction and progression of tumors in this system. v-Ki-ras- revertant subclones, isolated from late-passage KiMSV cells and inoculated individually into athymic nude mice, yielded tumors for only 1 of the 4 revertants, with no evidence for v-Ki-ras sequences in these tumor cells, thereby revealing a v-Ki-ras-independent mechanism for tumor formation in a small subset of revertant cells. Mixtures of the 4 subclones yielded tumors in all animals, although at a much longer latent period than observed with v-Ki-ras+ cells. Experiments with mixtures of v-Ki-ras- revertant cells and pSV2neo0tagged/v-Ki-ras+ cells (both complex NeoR cell mixtures and individual NeoR clones tested) at various cell ratios revealed clonal variability among v-Ki-ras+ cells for dominance during tumor formation. Moreover, the complex NeoR cell mixtures yielded both primary and metastatic tumors with simplified patterns of pSV2neo integration sites, suggesting that secondary genetic or epigenetic events, in addition to v-Ki-ras, contribute to the tumor-progressing phenotype. These experiments taken together demonstrate (a) clone-specific early selection of distinct v-Ki-ras+ cells amongst themselves and over v-Ki-ras- cells in both induction and progression of tumors, (b) reduced tumorigenic competence of v-Ki-ras- revertant cells, with a small subset displaying a v-Ki-ras-independent mechanism for tumor formation in this BALB/c 3T3 system, and (c) the significance of additional genetic or epigenetic events for tumor-progressing competence in unique subsets of v-Ki-ras+ cells.

Dephosphorylation of simian virus 40 large-T antigen and p53 protein by protein phosphatase 2A: inhibition by small-t antigen

Simian virus 40 (SV40) large-T antigen and the cellular protein p53 were phosphorylated in vivo by growing cells in the presence of 32Pi. The large-T/p53 complex was isolated by immunoprecipitation and used as a substrate for protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) consisting of the catalytic subunit (C) and the two regulatory subunits, A and B. Three different purified forms of PP2A, including free C, the AC form, and the ABC form, could readily dephosphorylate both proteins. With both large-T and p53, the C subunit was most active, followed by the AC form, which was more active than the ABC form. The activity of all three forms of PP2A toward these proteins was strongly stimulated by manganese ions and to a lesser extent by magnesium ions. The presence of complexed p53 did not affect the dephosphorylation of large-T antigen by PP2A. The dephosphorylation of individual phosphorylation sites of large-T and p53 were determined by two-dimensional peptide mapping. Individual sites within large-T and p53 were dephosphorylated at different rates by all three forms of PP2A. The phosphates at Ser-120 and Ser-123 of large-T, which affect binding to the origin of SV40 DNA, were removed most rapidly. Three of the six major phosphopeptides of p53 were readily dephosphorylated, while the remaining three were relatively resistant to PP2A. Dephosphorylation of most of the sites in large-T and p53 by the AC form was inhibited by SV40 small-t antigen. The inhibition was most apparent for those sites which were preferentially dephosphorylated. Inhibition was specific for the AC form; no effect was observed on the dephosphorylation of either protein by the free C subunit or the ABC form. The inhibitory effect of small-t on dephosphorylation by PP2A could explain its role in transformation.

Binding of p53 and p105-RB is not sufficient for oncogenic transformation by a hybrid polyomavirus-simian virus 40 large T antigen

To identify regions on the large T antigens of simian virus 40 (SV40) and polyomavirus which are involved in oncogenic transformation, we constructed plasmids encoding hybrid polyomavirus-SV40 large T antigens. The hybrid T antigens were expressed in G418 sulfate-resistant pools of rat F2408 cells, and extracts of such pools were immunoprecipitated with an antibody against p53. Two hybrid T antigens containing SV40 amino acids 337 to 708 bound to p53, whereas another hybrid T antigen containing SV40 amino acids 412 to 708 did not. This suggests that a binding domain on SV40 large T antigen for p53 is contained within amino acids 337 to 708, with amino acids 337 to 411 playing an important role. One of the two hybrids that bound to p53 was chosen for further study. This T antigen contained SV40 large T antigen amino acids 336 to 708 joined to polyomavirus large T antigen amino acids 1 to 521 (PyT1-521-SVT336-708). Immunoprecipitation with antibodies directed against the product of the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene, p105-RB, showed that this hybrid bound p105-RB as well as p53. Pools expressing the hybrid PyT1-521-SVT336-708 did not grow in soft agar, nor did they form foci on confluent monolayers of nontransformed F2408 cells. The hybrid T antigen was expressed at levels comparable to those seen in retrovirus-infected F2408 cells expressing only SV40 large T antigen, which do show a transformed phenotype. Thus, this level of expression was sufficient for transformation by SV40 large T antigen but not for the hybrid large T antigen. These data, combined with genetic studies from other laboratories, suggest that complex formation with p53 and p105-RB is necessary but not sufficient for the oncogenic potential of papovavirus large T antigens.

A nonsecretable cell surface mutant of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) kills by cell-to-cell contact

In addition to the induction of tumor regression, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been implicated as the causative agent in a number of pathologies, including cachexia, septic shock, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmunity, and induction of HIV expression. We propose that this complex physiology might be manifest by different forms of TNF: the 17 kd secretory component, the 26 kd transmembrane form, or both. To determine whether the 26 kd form of TNF was biologically active and whether its biology differed from that of the secretory component, we generated uncleavable and solely secretable mutants of TNF and studied their biological activities. We found that an uncleavable mutant of the 26 kd cell surface transmembrane form of TNF kills tumor cells and virus-infected cells by cell-to-cell contact, and that TNF need not be internalized by its target to kill. Thus, the 26 kd integral transmembrane form of TNF may function in vivo to kill tumor cells and other targets locally in contrast to the systemic bioactivity of the secretory component.

SV40 immortalizes myogenic cells: DNA synthesis and mitosis in differentiating myotubes

Primary skeletal muscle myoblasts have a limited proliferative capacity in cell culture and cease to proliferate after several passages. We examined the effects of several oncogenes on the immortalization and differentiation of primary cultures of rat skeletal muscle myoblasts. Retroviruses containing a SV40 large T antigen (LT) gene very efficiently immortalize myogenic cells. The immortalized cell lines retain a very high differentiation capacity and form, in the appropriate culture conditions, a very dense network of muscle fibers. As in primary culture, cell fusion is associated with the synthesis of large amounts of muscle-specific proteins. However, unlike normal myoblasts (and previously established myogenic cell lines), nuclei in the multinucleated fibers of SV40-immortalized cells synthesize DNA and enter mitosis. Thus, withdrawal from DNA synthesis is not obligatory for cell fusion and biochemical differentiation. Using a retrovirus coding for a temperature-sensitive SV40 LT, myogenic cell lines were produced in which the SV40 LT could be inactivated by a shift from 33 degrees C to 39 degrees C. The inactivation of LT induced massive cell fusion and synthesis of muscle proteins. The nuclei in those fibers did not synthesize DNA, nor did they undergo mitosis. This approach enabled the reproducible establishment of myogenic cell lines from very small populations of myoblasts or single primary myogenic clones. Activated p53 also readily immortalized cells in primary muscle cultures, however the cells of eight out of the nine cell lines isolated had a fibroblastic morphology and could not be induced to form multinucleated fibers.

Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer into embryonal carcinoma and hemopoietic stem cells: expression from a hybrid long terminal repeat

Retroviral vectors can be used as an efficient gene delivery system in a wide variety of cell types. However, in some cell types, such as embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells or normal bone-marrow cells the expression of genes introduced by retroviral vectors has been very inefficient. This expression block has severely hampered the application of retroviral vector systems in those cell types. The enhancer sequences present in the long terminal repeat (LTR) of retroviruses are known to be responsible for the tissue specificity of viral expression. Therefore, we set out to construct a vector in which this enhancer element has been replaced. A recombinant retrovirus was constructed in which the enhancer from the Moloney murine leukemia virus LTR was replaced by the enhancer of a mutant polyoma virus (PyF101) that was selected to grow on EC cells. A neomycin-resistance marker (neoR) was placed under the transcriptional control of the hybrid LTR. Following infection with this virus, neoR was expressed in EC cells, as well as in the hemopoietic progenitor cells present in normal murine bone marrow. Moreover, upon transplantation of infected bone marrow cells into lethally irradiated mice, neoR expression was sustained in hemopoietic cells of the engrafted recipients.

Characterization of cDNAs of spliced HPV-11 E2 mRNA and other HPV mRNAs recovered via retrovirus-mediated gene transfer

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are associated with hyperproliferations of cutaneous or mucosal epithelium. These viruses cannot be propagated in any cell culture system. Because cloning cDNA copies of HPV mRNAs recovered from human lesions has met with only very limited success, the characterization of HPV mRNAs has been problematic. Using the Moloney murine leukemia virus vector system (C.L. Cepko, B.E. Roberts, and R.C. Mulligan, 1984, Cell 37, 1053-1062), we have recovered cDNAs of spliced E2 mRNAs of human papillomavirus type 11 and additional mRNAs of type 11 and type 18 and determined the utilization of open reading frames (ORFs) in the DNA sequences. The recovery of cDNA copies of messages with splice sites identical to those previously described strongly suggests that the newly characterized splice donors and acceptors are also authentic. The HPV-11 E2 cDNA contains the intact E6 and E7 ORFs and the beginning of the E1 ORF in the first exon, which is then spliced from nt 847 to the second exon at nt 2622, 100 nucleotides upstream from the initiation codon for the E2 ORF. The initiation codon in the E1 ORF is followed by four additional in-frame AUG triplets and an in-frame termination codon positioned 30 nucleotides upstream from the initiation codon for the E2 protein. The authenticity of this putative E2 cDNA was shown by its ability to provide enhancer transactivating activity in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assays in several cell lines. A mutation in the genomic DNA at this splice acceptor site eliminates its activity, demonstrating that the splice is essential for the expression of the E2 protein. We conclude that the translation of the HPV-11 E2 protein requires internal initiation.

Comparative analysis of retroviral vector expression in mouse embryonal carcinoma cells

A series of replication-defective retroviral vectors were assessed for their ability to efficiently transfer functional genes into undifferentiated cells. In these vectors (designated handicapped because of a deletion of enhancer and promoter sequences in the viral long terminal repeat) transcription of inserted genes is under the control of internal promoters. Although a composite promoter composed of a mutant polyoma virus enhancer (PyF441) coupled to the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter was anticipated to function efficiently, it was found to be significantly inferior to the mouse X-chromosome phosphoglycerate kinase (pgk-1) promoter, in its ability to express the selectable neomycin phosphotransferase gene in mouse embryonal carcinoma cells. The pHMB vector, which contains the pgk-1 promoter, was shown to confer the drug-resistant phenotype at high frequencies to F9 and P19 cells. This vector might prove to be of general utility for efficient gene expression in other developmental contexts.

New retrovirus helper cells with almost no nucleotide sequence homology to retrovirus vectors

We prepared retrovirus packaging cell lines containing gag-pol genes from spleen necrosis virus (expressed from a cytomegalovirus promoter and the simian virus 40 (SV40) polyadenylation sequences) and, on a separate vector, either the env gene from spleen necrosis virus (expressed from the Rous sarcoma virus promoter and the SV40 polyadenylation sequences) or the env gene from amphotropic murine leukemia virus (expressed from a cytomegalovirus promoter and the SV40 polyadenylation sequences). The nucleotide sequences in these packaging cell lines have almost no homology to the retrovirus vectors we used. Retrovirus vectors were produced from these new helper cell lines without any genetic interactions between the vectors and sequences in the helper cells and without transfer of the packaging sequences.

The SV40 small t antigen is essential for the morphological transformation of human fibroblasts

The morphological transformation of human fibroblasts as measured in an assay for dense focus formation required, besides the SV40 large T antigen, an intact SV40 small t antigen. Using a G418-resistant colony formation assay it also was found that expression of the SV40 large T antigen only is not sufficient for the morphological transformation of human fibroblasts. Therefore it is concluded that the SV40 small t antigen is essential for the morphological transformation of human fibroblasts.

Expression of human adenosine deaminase in murine hematopoietic cells

Multiple replication-defective retrovirus vectors were tested for their ability to transfer and express human adenosine deaminase in vitro and in vivo in a mouse bone marrow transplantation model. High-titer virus production was obtained from vectors by using both a retrovirus long terminal repeat promoter and internal transcriptional units with human c-fos and herpes virus thymidine kinase promoters. After infection of primary murine bone marrow with one of these vectors, human adenosine deaminase was detected in 60 to 85% of spleen colony-forming units and in the blood of 14 of 14 syngeneic marrow transplant recipients. This system offers the opportunity to assess methods for increasing efficiency of gene transfer, for regulation of expression of foreign genes in hematopoietic progenitors, and for long-term measurement of the stability of expression in these cells.

Human papovavirus BK early gene regulation in nonpermissive cells

The human papovavirus BK latently infects a majority of the population worldwide, and its DNA has been found in human tumor tissue. BKV is known to be highly oncogenic in rodents, and is capable of transforming cells in vitro. Rearrangements in the transcriptional regulatory sequences controlling expression of the transforming early gene, T antigen, are known to affect both the tumorigenic and transforming properties of this virus. Little is known about the mechanism by which this occurs. We have examined several aspects of BKV early promoter/enhancer regulation in cell types which the virus transforms, baby hamster kidney (BHK) and newborn rat kidney (NRK) cells, and compare them to the same processes in monkey kidney CV1 cells. We find that BKV early transcriptional efficiency requires the same enhancer repeat elements in all three cell types, but that requirements for sequences to the early and late side of these repeats vary between these cells. While the BKV T antigen was found to repress early gene expression from the BKV early promoter in CV1 cells, this effect was lower in BHK cells and essentially absent in NRK cells. The impaired autoregulation observed in rodent cells may be the result of inefficient T antigen production in these cells. DNA replication from the BKV origin was not detected in either BHK or NRK cells. Finally, we find no correlation between the efficiency of the BKV early regulatory region in directing gene expression and the ability to transform NRK cells.

Requirement for the simian virus 40 small tumor antigen in tumorigenesis in transgenic mice

To examine the role of simian virus 40 (SV40) large T and small t antigens in tumorigenesis in animals, we generated transgenic mice which expressed either both the SV40 large T and small t antigens or the SV40 large T antigen alone under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat. The mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat directs the expression of transgenes in ductal epithelial cells of several organs, including the mammary gland, lung, and kidney, and in lymphoid cells. The mice which expressed both the T and t tumor antigens developed lung and kidney adenocarcinomas, while those which expressed large T alone did not. Both types of mice developed malignant lymphomas with similar frequencies and latency periods. Our results show that the SV40 small t antigen cooperates with the large T antigen in inducing tumors in slowly dividing epithelial cells in the lung and kidney.

Genetic tagging of tumor cells with retrovirus vectors: clonal analysis of tumor growth and metastasis in vivo

Retrovirus vector infection was used to introduce large numbers of unique genetic markers into tumor cell populations for the purpose of analyzing comparative changes in the clonal composition of metastatic versus that of nonmetastatic tumors during their progressive growth in vivo. The cell lines used were SP1, a nonmetastatic, aneuploid mouse mammary adenocarcinoma, and SP1HU9L, a metastatic variant of SP1. Cells were infected with delta e delta pMoTN, a replication-defective retrovirus vector which possesses the dominant selectable neo gene and crippled long terminal repeats. G418r colonies were obtained at a frequency of 4 x 10(-3). Southern blot analysis of a number of clones provided evidence of random and heritable integration of one or two copies of the proviral DNA. Clonal evolution of primary tumor growth and the nature of lineage relationships among spontaneous metastases and primary tumors were analyzed by subcutaneously injecting 10(5) cells from a pooled mixture of 3.6 x 10(2) G418r SP1HU9L or 10(4) G418r SP1 colonies into syngeneic CBA/J mice. The most striking finding was the relative clonal homogeneity of advanced primary tumors; they invariably consisted of a small number (less than 10) of distinct clones despite the fact that hundreds or thousands of uniquely marked clones had been injected. In the case of the metastatic SP1HU9L cells, the nature of these "dominant" clones varied from one tumor to another. Analysis of a number of lung metastases revealed that a proportion of them were derived from dominant primary tumor clones and were composed of one, and sometimes two, distinct progenitors. In some animals, all the lung metastases were derived from a common progenitor clone, whereas in others, each metastatic nodule had a different progenitor. The results show the following. (i) Retrovirus vector infection can be used to introduce large numbers of unique and stable clonal markers into tumor cell populations. (ii) The progeny of a very limited number of clones dominate in advanced primary tumors. (iii) Mammary carcinoma metastases are of mono- or biclonal origin. The significance of the results is discussed.

Transduction of the human insulin gene via retroviral vectors fails to yield spliced transcripts

Previous reports on retroviral vectors have shown them to be useful for transferring genes into animal cells. Genes placed under the retroviral long terminal repeat (LTR) act as dominant loci in recipient cells and can permanently alter their genotype and phenotype. Previous reports have shown that recombinant retroviruses containing genomic sequences with both introns and exons display a high frequency of deletion and abnormal kinetics of splicing of intron sequences. We report here our findings when a 2.9-kb fragment containing the entire human insulin gene was inserted into a Moloney-derived retroviral vector in the same transcriptional orientation as the LTRs. RNA transcripts synthesized in cells containing such constructs remain unspliced, as assessed by both RNA blot analysis and S1 mapping. Ten subclones derived following viral passage showed no splicing, and failure to splice was observed regardless of cell type or species of origin, or number of viral passages. Thus, genomic sequences containing introns when situated within the context of a retroviral transcript do not in all instances exhibit expected kinetics of splicing.

Expression of human adenosine deaminase in murine hematopoietic cells

Multiple replication-defective retrovirus vectors were tested for their ability to transfer and express human adenosine deaminase in vitro and in vivo in a mouse bone marrow transplantation model. High-titer virus production was obtained from vectors by using both a retrovirus long terminal repeat promoter and internal transcriptional units with human c-fos and herpes virus thymidine kinase promoters. After infection of primary murine bone marrow with one of these vectors, human adenosine deaminase was detected in 60 to 85% of spleen colony-forming units and in the blood of 14 of 14 syngeneic marrow transplant recipients. This system offers the opportunity to assess methods for increasing efficiency of gene transfer, for regulation of expression of foreign genes in hematopoietic progenitors, and for long-term measurement of the stability of expression in these cells.

Efficient transactivation and morphologic transformation by bovine papillomavirus genes expressed from a bovine papillomavirus/simian virus 40 recombinant virus

To efficiently introduce bovine papillomavirus type 1 genes into cultured cells, we constructed a hybrid viral genome in which the simian virus 40 early region is replaced with a segment of the bovine papillomavirus type 1 transforming region. High-titer stocks of simian virus 40 virions containing the recombinant genome were produced in monkey cells that express simian virus 40 large tumor antigen. Cells infected with this virus efficiently expressed the bovine papillomavirus type 1 E2 and E5 genes. Expression of the E2 gene caused transactivation of genes linked to the bovine papillomavirus type 1 control region, resulting in up to a 1000-fold induction. At high multiplicity of infection of a cell line containing an integrated reporter gene, most cells were infected and responded to transactivation. Within 48 hr of infection with wild-type virus but not with an open reading frame E5 mutant, mouse C127 cells displayed dramatic changes in morphology and growth characteristics similar to those seen in tumorigenic transformation. This system can be used to determine the acute cellular response to introduction of bovine papillomavirus type 1 transforming and regulatory genes; it can also be used to induce foreign genes stably incorporated into cultured mammalian cells.

Negative regulation of retrovirus expression in embryonal carcinoma cells mediated by an intragenic domain

An intragenic region spanning the tRNA primer binding site of a Moloney murine leukemia virus recombinant retrovirus was found to restrict expression specifically in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells. When the inhibitory domain was present, the levels of steady-state RNA synthesized from integrated recombinant templates in stable cotransformation assays were reduced 20-fold in EC cells but not in C2 myoblast cells. Transient-cotransfection assays showed that repression of a template containing the EC-specific inhibitory component was relieved by an excess of specific competitor DNA. In addition, repression mediated by the inhibitory component was orientation independent. This evidence demonstrates the presence of a saturable, trans-acting negative regulatory factor(s) in EC cells and suggests that the interaction of the factor(s) with the intragenic inhibitory component occurs at the DNA level.

Genetic tagging of tumor cells with retrovirus vectors: clonal analysis of tumor growth and metastasis in vivo

Retrovirus vector infection was used to introduce large numbers of unique genetic markers into tumor cell populations for the purpose of analyzing comparative changes in the clonal composition of metastatic versus that of nonmetastatic tumors during their progressive growth in vivo. The cell lines used were SP1, a nonmetastatic, aneuploid mouse mammary adenocarcinoma, and SP1HU9L, a metastatic variant of SP1. Cells were infected with delta e delta pMoTN, a replication-defective retrovirus vector which possesses the dominant selectable neo gene and crippled long terminal repeats. G418r colonies were obtained at a frequency of 4 x 10(-3). Southern blot analysis of a number of clones provided evidence of random and heritable integration of one or two copies of the proviral DNA. Clonal evolution of primary tumor growth and the nature of lineage relationships among spontaneous metastases and primary tumors were analyzed by subcutaneously injecting 10(5) cells from a pooled mixture of 3.6 x 10(2) G418r SP1HU9L or 10(4) G418r SP1 colonies into syngeneic CBA/J mice. The most striking finding was the relative clonal homogeneity of advanced primary tumors; they invariably consisted of a small number (less than 10) of distinct clones despite the fact that hundreds or thousands of uniquely marked clones had been injected. In the case of the metastatic SP1HU9L cells, the nature of these "dominant" clones varied from one tumor to another. Analysis of a number of lung metastases revealed that a proportion of them were derived from dominant primary tumor clones and were composed of one, and sometimes two, distinct progenitors. In some animals, all the lung metastases were derived from a common progenitor clone, whereas in others, each metastatic nodule had a different progenitor. The results show the following. (i) Retrovirus vector infection can be used to introduce large numbers of unique and stable clonal markers into tumor cell populations. (ii) The progeny of a very limited number of clones dominate in advanced primary tumors. (iii) Mammary carcinoma metastases are of mono- or biclonal origin. The significance of the results is discussed.

Purification and functional properties of simian virus 40 large and small T antigens overproduced in insect cells

The insect baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus was used as an expression vector for the simian virus 40 (SV40) small t (t) and large T (T) antigens. Spodoptera frugiperda (SF9) cells infected with recombinant viruses encoding these proteins produced approximately 1 to 2 micrograms of t and up to 30 micrograms of T per 3 X 10(6) cells. The former was highly soluble after Nonidet P-40 extraction of the infected cells, unlike its Escherichia coli-produced counterpart. Both SF9-produced proteins were of authentic size and could be readily immunoprecipitated by specific antibodies. Single-step immunoaffinity chromatography was used to purify the two proteins to near homogeneity, with yields averaging 70% in each case. Experiments to test the biological activity of the baculovirus SV40 proteins showed that SF9 t was capable of associating with two of the cellular proteins reported to bind to t in SV40-infected mammalian cells. Moreover, SF9 T had ATPase activity comparable to that of T produced in monkey cells, exhibited helicase activity and SV40 origin-specific DNA binding, and was active in the SV40 DNA replication assay in vitro. Thus, the SV40 T antigens produced in insect cells can be used in future studies of their biochemical roles in vitro and in vivo.

Requirement for the simian virus 40 small tumor antigen in tumorigenesis in transgenic mice

To examine the role of simian virus 40 (SV40) large T and small t antigens in tumorigenesis in animals, we generated transgenic mice which expressed either both the SV40 large T and small t antigens or the SV40 large T antigen alone under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat. The mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat directs the expression of transgenes in ductal epithelial cells of several organs, including the mammary gland, lung, and kidney, and in lymphoid cells. The mice which expressed both the T and t tumor antigens developed lung and kidney adenocarcinomas, while those which expressed large T alone did not. Both types of mice developed malignant lymphomas with similar frequencies and latency periods. Our results show that the SV40 small t antigen cooperates with the large T antigen in inducing tumors in slowly dividing epithelial cells in the lung and kidney.

A recombinant murine retrovirus expressing v-rel is cytopathic

A murine retrovirus that expresses the avian v-rel oncogene was constructed. NIH 3T3 cells transfected with this construct expressed v-rel-specific RNA and a 59-kDa protein serologically identical to avian v-rel. The protein expressed from the recombinant retrovirus retained the associated protein kinase activity observed in avian systems. While the detection of v-rel RNA sequences in infected cells verified the infectivity of the retrovirus, the retrovirus did not transform either murine fibroblasts or bone marrow cells. Rather, a cytopathic effect was observed in murine fibroblasts and a pre-B lymphoid cell line that were infected with the murine retrovirus. Growth curves of these infected cells revealed cell death or diminished growth rate in all cases.

Establishment of megakaryoblastic cell lines by coinfection of Abelson murine leukemia virus and recombinant SV40-retrovirus

Murine embryonic cells including yolk sac prepared from 8-day embryos were co-infected with Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) and/or a recombinant retrovirus containing large T and small t antigens, and early region of simian virus 40 (M-SV40). By coinfection with A-MuLV and M-SV40, megakaryoblastic cells were obtained in addition to mast cells and fibroblastic cells. However, following infection with A-MuLV or M-SV40 alone, no megakaryoblastic cells were detected, although mast cells and/or fibroblastic cells developed. The same results were obtained in several experiments. By single-cell transfer, 6 acetyl-cholinesterase (AchE)-positive clonal cell lines were established. Characteristics of megakaryocytes, such as AchE, glycoproteins IIb and IIIa, and platelet peroxidase were detected in two representative cells (C1 and C8). More significant changes expressing differentiation were observed following treatment with phorbol myristate acetate or pokeweed mitogen-stimulated murine spleen cell conditioned medium, although release of platelets was not observed. This is the first report showing development of megakaryocytic cells as the result of coinfection with retroviruses.

An altered pattern of cross-resistance in multidrug-resistant human cells results from spontaneous mutations in the mdr1 (P-glycoprotein) gene

Multidrug resistance in human cells results from increased expression of the mdr1 (P-glycoprotein) gene. Although the same gene is activated in cells selected with different drugs, multidrug-resistant cell lines can be preferentially resistant to their selecting agent. The mdr1 cDNA sequence from vinblastine-selected KB cells, which are uniformly resistant to different lipophilic drugs, was compared with the corresponding sequence from colchicine-selected KB cells preferentially resistant to colchicine. These sequences differ at three positions, resulting in a single amino acid change in P-glycoprotein. These differences result from mutations that occurred during colchicine selection. The appearance of these mutations coincides with the emergence of preferential resistance to colchicine. We have constructed biologically active mdr1 cDNA clones that express either wild-type or mutant P-glycoprotein. Multi-drug-resistant transfectants obtained with the mutant sequence were characterized by increased relative resistance to colchicine compared with transfectants obtained with wild-type sequence. mdr1 mutations are therefore responsible for preferential resistance to colchicine in multidrug-resistant KB cells.

v-src mutations outside the carboxyl-coding region are not sufficient to fully activate transformation by pp60c-src in NIH 3T3 cells

Previous studies have shown that carboxyl-terminal mutation of pp60c-src can activate its transforming ability. Conflicting results have been reported for the transforming ability of pp60c-src mutants having only mutations outside its carboxyl-terminal region. To clarify the effects of such mutations, we tested the activities of chimeric v(amino)- and c(carboxyl)-src (v/c-src) proteins at different dosages in NIH 3T3 cells. The focus-forming activity of Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat (LTR)-src expression plasmids was significantly reduced when the v-src 3' coding region was replaced with the corresponding c-src region. This difference was masked when the Rous sarcoma virus LTR was replaced with the Moloney murine leukemia virus LTR, which induced approximately 20-fold more protein expression, but even focus-selected lines expressing v/c-src proteins were unable to form large colonies in soft agarose or tumors in NFS mice. This suggests that pp60c-src is not equally sensitive to mutations in its different domains and that there are at least two distinguishable levels of regulation, the dominant one being associated with its carboxyl terminus. v/c-src chimeric proteins expressed with either LTR had high in vitro specific kinase activity equal to that of pp60v-src but, in contrast, were phosphorylated at both Tyr-527 and Tyr-416. Total cell protein phosphotyrosine was enhanced in cells incompletely transformed by v/c-src proteins to the same extent as in v-src-transformed cells, suggesting that the carboxyl-terminal region may affect substrate specificity in a manner that is important for transformation.