Polyomavirus middle tumor antigen increases responsiveness to growth factors.
The middle tumor antigen (mT) of polyomavirus is unable to transform a clone of NIH 3T3 cells to anchorage independence (L. Raptis and J.B. Bolen, J. Virol. 63:753-758, 1989). However, this oncogene increased the responsiveness of these cells to the growth factors (alpha-like and beta-type transforming growth factors) produced by cells possessing the whole transforming region of polyomavirus. This resulted in the growth of NIH 3T3 cells, expressing mT under control of the dexamethasone-regulatable mouse mammary tumor virus promoter, in agar medium supplemented with these growth factors upon addition of the inducer. Therefore, mT, a transforming oncogene, is able to enhance the responsiveness of established cells to growth factors, a property previously attributed primarily to myc and other establishment type oncogenes.
Raptis
L
L
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
D000818:Animals; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D051379:Mice; D009857:Oncogenes; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta