Interactions of Polyoma and Mouse DNAs III. Mechanism of Polyoma Pseudovirion Formation

Small and middle T antigens contribute to lytic and abortive polyomavirus infection

Using three different polyomavirus hr-t mutants and two polyomavirus mlT mutants, we studied induction of S-phase by mutants and wild-type virus in quiescent mouse kidney cells, mouse 3T6 cells, and FR 3T3 cells. At different times after infection, we measured the proportion of T-antigen-positive cells, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine, the proportion of DNA-synthesizing cells, and the increase in total DNA, RNA, and protein content of the cultures. In permissive mouse cells, we also determined the amount of viral DNA and the proportion of viral capsid-producing cells. In polyomavirus hr-t mutant-infected cultures, onset of host DNA replication was delayed by several hours, and a smaller proportion of T-antigen-positive cells entered S-phase than in wild-type-infected cultures. Of the two polyomavirus mlT mutants studied, dl-23 behaved similarly to wild-type virus in many, but not all, parameters tested. The poorly replicating but well-transforming mutant dl-8 was able to induce S-phase, and (in permissive cells) progeny virus production, in only about one-third of the T-antigen-positive cells. From our experiments, we conclude that mutations affecting small and middle T-antigen cause a reduction in the proportion of cells responding to virus infection and a prolongation of the early phase, i.e., the period before cells enter S-phase. In hr-t mutant-infected mouse 3T6 cells, production of viral DNA was less than 10% of that in wild-type-infected cultures; low hr-t progeny production in 3T6 cells was therefore largely due to poor viral DNA replication.

Synthesis of multimeric polyoma virus DNA in mouse L-cells: role of the tsA1S9 gene product

Several different forms of progeny viral DNA can be identified in polyoma virus (Py)-infected mouse L-cells. The majority comprise mature form I superhelical DNA and the circular, double-stranded "theta" replicating intermediates in which the progeny DNA strands never exceed the unit genome length of the template. There is formed, in addition, a minority fraction of multimeric, linear, double-stranded Py DNA molecules that sediment heterogeneously at 28 to 35S and greater than 35S. Restriction enzyme analysis of these large Py DNA molecules reveals them to be tandem arrays of multiple unit genome lengths, covalently linked head to tail. It is estimated that the 28 to 35S multimeric DNA has an average size of about 20 megadaltons, made up of 6 to 20 Py genome units. The greater than 35S Py DNA is, of course, larger. Kinetic analysis indicates that formation of the monomeric progeny viral DNA and the 28 to 35S multimeric Py DNA reaches a peak at about 35 to 36 h postinfection. Synthesis of the very large linear molecules of greater than 35S is first detected after this interval and continues thereafter. The de novo synthesis of all of these progeny Py DNA molecules proceeds apparently normally in Py-infected tsA1S9 mouse L-cells incubated at 38.5 degrees C under conditions which restrict normal cellular DNA replication. These findings suggest that the cellular DNA topoisomerase II activity, encoded in the tsA1S9 locus (R. W. Colwill and R. Sheinin, submitted for publication), is not required for de novo formation of any form of Py DNA. However, the total amount made and the rate of synthesis of the large molecular weight Py DNA are affected very late in temperature-inactivated tsA1S9 cells.

Phenotypic transformation of the host cell enhances polyoma pseudovirion formation

Phenotypic transformation of the host cell affected the formation of polyoma pseuodovirions. Polyoma virus infection of various transformed derivatives of mouse 3T3 cells resulted in the formation of predominantly pseudovirions, whereas infection of mouse 3T3 cells produced mainly polyoma virus. The effect that transformation of the host cell had on polyoma pseudovirus formation was further demonstrated by using phenotypic revertants isolated from some of the transformed cell lines. The revertants were characterized by their morphology, saturation densities, and colony-forming ability in methylcellulose suspension. By these criteria they were distinct from their transformed parents and similar to 3T3 cells. After infection, the revertants produced predominantly polyoma virus and few pseudovirus. Thus, for the cell lines used in this study, phenotypic transformation enhanced the formationof polyoma pseudovirions.

Removal of T4 endonuclease V-sensitive sites from SV40 DNA after exposure to ultraviolet light

The induction and removal of sites sensitive to T4 endonuclease V from ultraviolet-irradiated Simian Virus 40 (SV40) Form I (supercoiled) DNA during a lytic infection of monkey CV-1 cells was investigated by agarose tube gel electrophoresis. Endonuclease-sensitive sites were induced at a rate of 0.049 sites/SV40 genome per J/m2, or 1.4 sites/1 . 10(8) daltons of DNA per J/m2. This value is similar to the yield of endonuclease-sensitive sites and pyrimidine dimers in uninfected host CV-1 cell DNA. Removal of endonuclease-sensitive sites was dose dependent and non-linear for at least 24 h after irradiation. These results suggest that SV40 DNA is subject to the excision repair mechanisms of the host cell, and that the excision of pyrimidine dimers may be one of the biochemical events underlying host cell reactivation.

Polyoma and cell DNA synthesis in mouse L cells temperature sensitive for the replication of cell DNA

Polyoma (Py) virus multiplies, at 34 and 38.5 C, in wild-type (WT-4) and in ts A1S9 mouse L cells, which are temperature sensitive for growth and for DNA replication (R. Sheinin, 1976; L. H. Thompson et al., 1970). De novo synthesis of double-stranded, fully covalently closed Py DNA has been shown to proceed by semiconservative replication in WT-4 and ts A1S9 cells at the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures. Cell DNA is made late during infection, by both cell types and at both temperatures. Semiconservative replication of cell DNA proceeds in Py-infected WT-4 cells incubated at 34 or at 38.5 C and in Py-infected ts A1S9 cells incubated at 34 C. In virus-infected ts A1S9 cells incubated at 38.5 C, cell DNA synthesis appears to proceed almost entirely by a process analogous to repair replication. The inability of ts A1S9 cells to produce large-molecular-weight chromosomal DNA strands, at 38.5 C, by the normal mechanism is not overcome by Py infection.