Transformation of NIH-3T3 mouse cells by avian retroviral DNAs

NIH-3T3 cells were found to be transformable by RSV DNA in the absence of progeny virus production. Cells transformed by intact RSV DNAs contained rescuable RSV genomes that were integrated into cellular DNA and were colinear with unintegrated RSV DNA. NIH-3T3 cells were also transformable by subgenomic fragments of RSV DNA, synthesized in vitro or generated by restriction endonuclease digestion of intracellular RSV DNA. These cells did not contain rescuable RSV genomes but did contain RSV DNA fragments that efficiently induced transformation of NIH-3T3 cells in secondary transfection assays. Further analysis of the RSV DNA sequences present in these cells and transformation assays of defined fragments of RSV DNA may contribute to the elucidation of the sequences required for expression of the src gene of RSV. DNAs of the avian acute leukemia viruses MC29 and AEV also induced transformation of NIH-3T3 cells. The use of these cells as recipients may thus provide a system suitable for functional analysis of the transforming genes of avian leukemia viruses as well as sarcoma viruses.