Body temperature and tumor virus infection. I. Tumorogenicity of Rous sarcoma virus for reptiles.
Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) was oncogenic for the following nine species of reptiles representing 6 families from Chelonia and Squamata orders: family of Testudinidae: 1. Testudo horsfieldi, family Agamidae: 2. Agama sanguinolenta; 3. Agama erythrogastra, family Lacertidae: 4. Eremias persica; 5. Eremias velox; 6. Eremias grammica, family Scincidae: 7. Eumeces taeniolatus, family Boidea: 8. Erix tataricus, 9. Ancistrodom blomhoffi. RSV did not induce tumors in 13 studied species of reptiles. Histologically 26 reptile tumors studied were polymorphous sarcomas with spindle-shaped (fibroblast-like), round and polygonal macrophage-like cells and sometimes peculiar giant polynuclear cells. Chromosomal analysis showed that reptile tumors arose out of reptile cells. RSV was pathogenic for adult reptiles. Reptile tumors did not contain a mature infectious virus. The tumors of 2 snakes were virogenic. The effect of increased temperature at the body level on the transformation of a symptomless viral infection into a viral disease is discussed in the evolutionary aspect.
D000818:Animals; D001358:Avian Sarcoma Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001831:Body Temperature; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012104:Reptiles / Q000502:physiology*; D001357:Sarcoma, Avian / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology