Genetic variation and host markers in the src gene of recovered avian sarcoma viruses

The src genes of three recovered avian sarcoma viruses were compared by RNase T1 oligonucleotide fingerprinting and tryptic peptide analysis. In all three recovered avian sarcoma viruses the oligonucleotide composition of src was different and also distinct from that of the parental Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus. This evidence for genetic variation src was strengthened by two dimensional peptide maps of the src gene products pp60src, translated in a reticulocyte lysate system in vitro. Numerous differences between the peptide patterns of the pp60src proteins produced by the parental and the recovered viruses were detected. No two src proteins were identical, while the tryptic peptide maps of the internal gag proteins synthesized by these viruses were indistinguishable. The src proteins of recovered avian sarcoma viruses also contained peptides that were absent from the src protein of parental Schmidt-Ruppin D virus but were found in the endogenous src protein of normal cells. We conclude that there is considerable genetic variation in the src gene of recovered avian sarcoma viruses and that these recovered src genes contain host cell-derived markers.