Characterization of tumor cell lines from a spontaneous rat sarcoma expressing an endogenous retrovirus.
We have characterized various biologic, immunologic and growth properties of several cell lines established from a spontaneous rat sarcoma that was discovered more than 60 yr ago. The tumors consisted of mixed cell types with no detectable host cellular immune response. Cultures derived from single-cell clones of the parental cell line were non-invasive but highly tumorigenic even in adult rats. The cultured cells spontaneously released replication-competent endogenous rat type C virus which did not carry a transforming gene in its genome. Since normal cells from the same rat strain did not produce a retrovirus, it is possible that production of the endogenous retrovirus may have triggered specific cellular changes necessary for the oncogene expression and development of this tumor.
Varnier
O E
OE
Raffanti
S P
SP
Muratore
O
O
Repetto
C M
CM
Pippia
P
P
Tilloca
G
G
Meloni
M A
MA
Ivaldi
G
G
Rasheed
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002460:Cell Line; D005814:Genes, Viral; D009857:Oncogenes; D051381:Rats; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D014779:Virus Replication