Polyomavirus large T antigen zinc finger is not required for efficient cellular immortalization of primary rat embryo fibroblasts.

The polyomavirus large T antigen contains a zinc finger domain required for the formation of hexamers involved in viral DNA replication. Since mutations within the zinc finger domains of transforming proteins like SV40 large T antigen and human papilloma virus E7 protein generally decrease their overall transforming activity, we have examined the ability of a mutant polyomavirus large T antigen that harbors a deletion in sequences within the zinc finger motif to immortalize primary rat embryo fibroblasts. In contrast to result obtained with SV40 large T antigen and the human papilloma virus E7 protein we show that deletion of the entire zinc finger motif enhances the immortalization efficiency of this mutant T antigen.