title: Evidence for retrovirus in miniature swine with radiation-induced leukemia or metaplasia.
abstract: Biochemical and morphological evidence indicates that a type-C retrovirus is present in the blood of swine (both leukemic and nonleukemic) exposed to strontium-90 radiation. Nonexposed swine that were leukemic also had virus present. The virus was shown to contain an RNase-sensitive DNA polymerase activity with cation, detergent and template requirements similar to those of known viral reverse transcriptases. The buoyant density of the virus was 1.14 to 1.16 g/ml, which can be converted, by treatment with ether, to a virion core having a density of 1.20 to 1.23 g/ml. Linear regression analysis indicated a correlation between virus-associated DNA polymerase activity and the number of blast cells in the peripheral blood.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Frazier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000382:microbiology*; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000382:microbiology; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000382:microbiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase