Selective incorporation of host cell methionyl-transfer RNA by RNA tumor viruses

Abstract

The low molecular weight RNA in three strains of avian tumor viruses, namely, Rous associated virus-1, Bryan Rous sarcoma virus grown in the presence of Rous associated virus-1, and Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus, accepted a large number of amino acids. In all three strains of Rous viruses, transfer RNA for methionine was incorporated in relatively large amounts. An examination of the reversed-phase-5 chromatographic profiles of methionyl-tRNA from the viruses and host cells demonstrated that one isoaccepting species of methionyl-tRNA was preferentially incorporated by all three viruses from the host cells. Transformylation and ribosome binding experiments indicated that this species was the internal methionyl-tRNA rather than the initiating species of formylatable methionyl-tRNA.