Retroviruses and the genetics of cancer.
Retroviruses cause cancer by several different mechanisms including addition of an oncogene, addition of a modified viral glycoprotein, activation of a proto-oncogene, transactivation of a proto-oncogene, immune depression, and stimulation of lymphoid cell proliferation. Both the evolution of oncogenes and tumor induction by most retroviruses is multi-step. Study of the evolution of a particular oncogene, v-rel, indicates that this evolution could not have been selection-driven, but that it resulted from the high rate of mutation in retroviruses replication, that is, it was mutation-driven. Argument is made that much other cancer is also mutation-driven.
Temin
H M
HM
McArdle Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D009857:Oncogenes; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012192:Retroviridae Infections