Characterization of a DNA polymerase activity in cultured human melanoma cells that copies poly(2'-O-methylcytidylate)

Characterization of the reverse transcriptase of 1731, a Drosophila melanogaster retrotransposon

The nucleotide sequence of 1731, a retrotransposon cloned from the genome of Drosophila melanogaster, reveals a structural similarity with the proviral form of the retroviruses including a pol-like gene containing a putative reverse-transcriptase(RT)-coding sequence. Diverse parts of that sequence were subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. It has been demonstrated that the expression of the RT-like sequence, when translated, gives rise to peptides displaying enzyme activity characteristic of a true RT enzyme. In addition, rabbit antisera directed against such recombinant proteins allowed us to detect an immunoreactive protein of around 110 kDa, which was only present in D. melanogaster cell lines, but not in cells derived from Drosophila virilis or Drosophila hydei, whose genomes do not bear the 1731 element. This protein is expected to correspond to a non-processed pol-gene translated product and cosediments with virus-like particles exhibiting RT activity.

Establishment and characterization of a transplantable erythroblastic leukemia in C3H mice

A disease with the characteristics of an erythroblastic leukemia was induced by X-ray irradiation of 300 Rads in C3H mice. The leukemia is transplantable in syngeneic mice by i.v. injection of the spleen cells. The mice show almost pure erythroid cells of various differentiation stages in peripheral blood. The number of total nucleated cells in the peripheral blood increased, but hematocrit and platelet number decreased. Reverse transcriptase activities were measured in spleen and liver of the mice and the data suggested that the leukemia was not induced by retrovirus infection. This leukemia is distinguishable, in this respect, from diseases reported by Friend or Rauscher. The leukemia will offer a good animal model for the studies on non-viral leukemogenesis and disorders of erythropoiesis.