Role of the mitogenic property and kinase activity of p60 super(src) in tumor formation by Rous sarcoma virus

• Published in: Journal of virology 1984-01, Vol.49 (2), p.325-332
• Main Authors: Poirier, F, Jullien, P, Dezelee, P, Dambrine, G, Esnault, E, Benatre, A, Calothy, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Rous sarcoma virus
• ISSN: 0022-538X

Expression of the src gene of Rous sarcoma virus in chicken embryo neuroretinal cells results in morphological transformation and sustained proliferation of this normally resting cell population. PA101 and PA104 are two mutants of Rous sarcoma virus which induce neuroretinal cell proliferation in the absence of morphological transformation. Their mitogenic property is temperature sensitive, and they both encode p60 super(src) proteins with low kinase activity. To study the role of the mitogenic function and protein kinase activity of p60 super(src) in tumorigenesis, the authors investigated the oncogenicity of PA101 and PA104. Both mutants were less tumorigenic than wild-type virus when injected into chicks. Tumorigenicity was further a sayed by inoculating infected chicken embryo fibroblasts and neuroretinal cells onto the chorioallantoid membrane of embryonated duck eggs. This system provides a nonpermissive and immunodeficient environment for xenogenic cell grafting and allows the study of cell tumorigenicity within a temperature range of 37 to 39.5 degree C. The results indicate that the expression of the mitogenic function of src does not account per se for cell tumorigenicity and that tumor formation is compatible with low levels of p60 super(src) protein kinase activity.