Abelson murine leukemia virus mutants with alterations in the virus-specific P120 molecule.
Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) is a replication-defective virus that transforms both fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells in vitro. The virus encodes a 120,000-molecular-weight protein (P120) that is composed of Moloney murine leukemia virus-derived gag gene sequences and A-MuLV--specific sequences. This protein is the only A-MuLV--encoded protein that has been detected, and thus P120 is a candidate for the transforming protein of A-MuLV. We now report isolation and characterization of three new A-MuLV isolates that do not synthesize P120 but do produce analogous proteins of larger (160,000 molecular weight) and smaller (100,000 and 90,000 molecular weight) size. All of these A-MuLV isolates transform fibroblasts and lymphoid cells in vitro. Because the different A-MuLV proteins vary in the A-MuLV--specific region of the molecule, these variants may set a maximum limit on the size of the A-MuLV transforming protein.
D000011:Abelson murine leukemia virus / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009154:Mutation; D051381:Rats; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
D014764:Viral Proteins