Structure of the baboon endogenous virus genome: cloning of circular virus DNA in bacteriophage lambda

Linear, small and large circular forms of unintegrated viral DNAs were detected in Hirt supernatant fraction of human cultured cells infected with baboon endogenous virus M7. The circular M7 DNAs were cloned in bacteriophage lambda, Charon 28. Seventeen independent clones were isolated and analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping. Nine clones were carrying a viral sequence of 8.6 kilobase pairs (kb) with two tandem repeats of 0.6 kb, which correspond to the large circular form of the unintegrated M7 DNA. Eight other clones had the viral insert of 8.0 kb, i. e., the small circular form, and were deleted one of the repeated sequences. The repeated sequences correspond to the long terminal repeats of 0.6 kb, located at both ends of the linear M7 DNA of 8.6 kb. One of the recombinants of the large circular M7 DNA had an inversion of 2.5 kb. One end of the inverted sequence was near the terminus of the long terminal repeats and the other in the gag gene region. The inversion seems to be occurred by integration of a viral DNA within itself during early periods of infection. The mechanism of the processes leading to integration is discussed from the structure of these unintegrated M7 DNAs as the precursors.