Biochemical evidence associating membrane-encapsidated particles with reverse transcription in human gastric cancer

We provide biochemical evidence demonstrating that membrane encapsidated structures present in terminal gastric patients share similar features with retrovirus-like particles. Purified particles reveal few polypeptides, one of them glycosylated. A ribonucleoprotein core-like component is recovered which retains the DNA-polymerizing activity and contains at least one RNA component which can be efficiently translated in vitro.