Different localization of the product of the v-rel oncogene in chicken fibroblasts and spleen cells correlates with transformation by REV-T.
Reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (REV-T) is a highly oncogenic avian retrovirus that transforms early lymphoid cells in vivo and in vitro, but REV-T does not transform chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF). Using antisera to p59v-rel, the v-rel oncogene product of REV-T, we show that p59v-rel is expressed at equal levels and is a phosphoprotein in REV-T infected spleen cells and CEF. Biochemical fractionation and immunofluorescence of REV-T infected nontransformed CEF show that p59v-rel is loosely associated with the nucleus. However, in REV-T transformed spleen cells p59v-rel is primarily a cytoplasmic protein. MSB-1 cells, a Marek's disease virus transformed T cell leukemic line, and E26 virus transformed myeloid cells show nuclear staining of p59v-rel when they are infected by REV-T. Our results indicate that there is a correlation between a cytoplasmic localization of p59v-rel and transformation by REV-T, and they suggest that p59v-rel cannot transform cells in which it assumes solely a nuclear location.
D000818:Animals; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009857:Oncogenes; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001356:Reticuloendotheliosis virus / Q000235:genetics*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000502:physiology
D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D010750:Phosphoproteins