Are transforming and mutagenic activities of oncogenic papovaviruses correlated?

A number of results obtained recently have shown that SV40-induced mutation and transformation of mammalian cells cultivated in vitro are related in some respect. Experiments were undertaken in order to get further information on the mode of mutagenic action of papovaviruses and further evidence of correlations existing between the mutagenic and transforming viral activities. DNA from the oncogenic hamster papovavirus HaPV was found to be mutagenic for at least three different resistance markers. In the hamster cell lines which were used HaPV DNA produced a higher yield of mutants than SV40 DNA for both the azaguanine and the aminopterin resistance marker. Cellular clones carrying a SV40-induced mutation in a specific locus were found to harbour viral genetic material and to exhibit a genetic instability of other loci. Also, cell lines characterized by their SV40-transformed state did exhibit such genetic instability. These results and results of other authors are discussed with respect to the correlations between oncogenic virus-induced mutation and transformation.