title: Neoplastic transformation by a cloned human cytomegalovirus DNA fragment uniquely homologous to one of the transforming regions of herpes simplex virus type 2.
abstract: Specific DNA fragments of human cytomegalovirus strain Towne exhibited sequence homology to the transforming regions of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) when examined by nitrocellulose filter hybridization under nonstringent conditions. Cloned Towne Xba I fragments B and C were homologous to both Bgl II transforming fragments N and C of HSV-2 DNA, whereas cloned Towne Xba I fragment E was uniquely homologous to HSV-2 Bgl II fragment C. Furthermore, Towne Xba I fragment E exhibited homology to a unique fragment of cytomegalovirus strain AD169 but lacked homology to the recently identified Xba I transforming (focus-forming) fragment N. Normal diploid Syrian hamster embryo cells transfected with cloned Towne Xba I fragment E displayed colonies of refractile, rapidly dividing cells which escaped senescence to form immortal cell lines. At early passages, these lines exhibited growth in 2% serum and formed small (less than 0.1 mm) colonies in 0.3% agarose. Serial passaging resulted in the appearance of large (greater than 0.25 mm) colonies in agarose, indicating the involvement of more than one step in Towne Xba I fragment E-induced transformation of the diploid hamster embryo cells. NIH 3T3 cells transfected with Towne Xba I fragment E rapidly displayed large colonies in agarose and tumors in vivo.
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes