Human sarcomas contain RNA related to the RNA of a mouse leukemia virus.

Labeled DNA complementary to the RNA of the Rauscher leukemia virus was hybridized with RNA from the polysome fraction of human sarcomas. Eighteen out of 25 specimens contained RNA possessing homology to the RNA of the mouse leukemia virus but not to that of the unrelated viruses causing mammary tumors in mice or myeloblastosis in chickens. Further, no normal adult or fetal tissues showed significant amounts of RNA specific to mouse leukemia virus. It appears that human sarcomas contain RNA sequences homologous to those found in an agent related to a virus known to cause sarcomas in mice.

Physical and chemical properties of the major envelope glycoprotein gp85 from avian myeloblastosis virus.

The major envelope glycoprotein gp85 of avian myeloblastosis virus, observed by electron microscopy as nearly spherical knobs projecting from the virus surface, was purified to homogeneity by gel filtration in 6 M guanidinium chloride followed by ion-exchange chromatography. The purified glycoprotein has a molecular weight of 80 000 from sedimentation equilibrium analysis. Glycoprotein gp85 contains approx. 45% carbohydrate including 25% N-acetylglucosamine, while the remaining weight consists of a polypeptide chain of approx. 45 000 daltons. Based on the oligosaccharide chain molecular weight data of Lai and Duesberg (Lai, M.M.C. and Duesberg, P.H. (1972) Virology 50, 359-372), the carbohydrate is calculated to be distributed between seven to nine oligosaccharide side chains. No self-association of gp85 was observed up to 2.0 mg/ml in dilute salt solution. The hydrodynamic properties of gp85 in dilute salt solution indicate a highly elongated molecule with an axial ratio of 7. One structural model which reconciles the hydrodynamic properties of gp85 with the nearly spherical architecture observed by electron microscopy requires the organization of the polypeptide chain and approx. 50% of the carbohydrate into a globular form. The remaining covalently linked oligosaccharides would by necessity extend outwardly from the globular structure as randomly oriented chains.

Identification of DNA in the core component of avian myeloblastosis virus.

Avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) was found to contain DNA associated with the virion. The viral envelope was removed by treating the virus with a nonionic detergent and the DNA was found in the core fraction. These experiments indicate that the DNA associated with tumor virus is not contaminant associated with the viral envelope and suggest that the DNA is part of the internal core component. The DNA from avian myeloblastosis virus has a density of 1.70 g/cm3.

Polypeptides isolated from ribosome-like structures occluded in avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV).

The protein composititon of ribosome-like particles isolated from AMV was determined by acrylamide gel electrophoresis and by immunological methods. It was established that the protein spectrum of ribosome-like particles differed significantly form the total protein spectrum of AMV. The most characteristic protein components of ribosome-like particles had a molecular weight in the range of 70 000--110 000. Apart from these proteins, the viral ribosomal particles contained a small amount of proteins with a molecular weight of 14 000--35 000 that could not be removed even by extensive purification. Immunological studies of the proteins of ribosome-like particles revealed the presence of antigenic determinants of ribosomal proteins. Furthermore, throughout the purification procedure the material contained components that reacted with antibodies against gs antigens.

Electron microscopic characterization of avian myeloblastosis virus RNA by the non-protein technique of spreading.

The quantitative analysis of the behaviour of retroviral RNA (AMV RNA) under the conditions of the non-protein technique of electron microscopic visualization on a mono-molecular film of BAC was performed. This technique resulted in visualization of intact molecules the mean length of which was 12% larger in comparison with molecules spread by the cytochrome c method. The method was found to be extremely sensitive to the surface properties of the supporting membrane which distinctly affect the shape and size of molecules. Arrangement of the surface potential of the supporting foil by means of ethidium bromide led to high reproducibility of RNA molecule stretching and to an increase in their length. The conditions were worked out in which extended linear RNA molecules were visualized, even under gentle denaturation. These conditions represent a suitable approach to the electron microscopic visualization of the protein--AMV RNA complexes.

Viral matrix inclusion bodies in myocardium of lymphoid leukosis virus-infected chickens.

Chicken embryos and healthy adult chickens naturally infected with lymphoid leukosis virus were used to investigate viral inclusion bodies in myocardial cells by light and electron microscopies and by immunocytochemical technique. Intracytoplasmic viral matrix inclusion bodies frequently appeared in the myocardium of adult chickens, but not in that of embryos. In light microscopic preparations, inclusions were irregularly distributed, were basophilic, and contained ribonucleic acid. Ultrastructurally, inclusions in myocardial cells were in areas containing numerous interstitial C-type particles. Early inclusions were composed of clusters of ribosomes associated with sarcoplasmic tubules; spherical bodies developed among these ribosomes. Mature inclusions were composed of numerous spherical bodies (50 to 75 nm) with interspersed ribosomes and of ribosomes clustered at the periphery. Inclusions were not membrane-enclosed. Occasionally, spherical bodies were in paracrystalline arrays. Multiple budding occurred on cell membranes adjacent to matrix inclusions. The viral group-specific protein, p27, was demonstrated by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method and by the protein A-gold method in the spherical bodies, in nucleoids of mature virus particles, and among ribosomes of inclusions. The results indicate that the matrix inclusions were the result of lymphoid leukosis virus infection and were the product of viral protein synthesis on ribosomes.

Electron microscopic studies on the structure of 60-70S RNA of avian myeloblastosis virus.

Structural properties of the 60-70S RNA complex of avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) were analysed in electron microscope after treatment under a set of non-denaturing, gently and strongly denaturing conditions. By selected denaturing conditions, the significant fraction of 60-70S AMV RNA molecules revealed partially unfolded structures either in a dimer or a more complex form and in a length corresponding to mol. wt. of 5.6 X 10(6). The typical dimers contained a characteristic central structure connecting the subunits and similar to those described for Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and mammalian retrovirus RNAs. This dimer linkage in the AMV genome occurred at 384 +/- 43 nucleotides from one end of each subunit. Besides partially unfolded complexes, collapsed structures and extended linear molecules were observed. The length of majority of the linear molecules had reached a half of that of the partially unfolded complexes corresponding to the mol. wt. of monomers estimated under conditions of strong denaturation to be 2.8 X 10(6). Based on our findings, we conclude that the genome of AMV shares the dimer structure with RSV and mammalian retroviruses. We also conclude that the secondary structure of AMV RNA molecule is more labile than that of RNA of mammalian retroviruses.