SV40 induces mesotheliomas in hamsters.
In the course of studies to elucidate the relative contribution of simian virus 40 (SV40) large T and small t proteins during oncogenesis, we observed the appearance of pericardial and pleural tumors in 100% of Syrian hamsters injected in the pleural space with wild type SV40. When SV40 was injected via the intracardiac or intraperitoneal routes, more than 50% of hamsters developed mesothelial tumors. Macroscopic, microscopic, ultramicroscopic, and histochemical characteristics identify these neoplasms and derived cell lines as mesotheliomas and mesothelioma-derived cell lines. The SV40 genome was integrated and expressed in the mesotheliomas and derived cell lines. The absence of mesotheliomas in hamsters injected with SV40 small t deletion mutants indicates that the small t protein plays an important role in the development of SV40-induced mesotheliomas. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first definitive report of virus-induced mesotheliomas in mammals.
Section on Viruses and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
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D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006321:Heart; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D007267:Injections; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D010994:Pleura; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000502:physiology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*