Studies on the Structure and Function of the Avian Sarcoma Virus Transforming Gene Product

Abstract

RNA tumor viruses quickly and efficiently transform cells and are therefore extremely useful agents for the study of the molecular events in oncogenesis. It is well established that the product(s) of a single avian sarcoma virus (ASV) gene (src) is responsible for the induction and maintenance of cell transformation in vitro and tumor production in infected animals [6]. We have carried out experiments designed to identify this product by techniques that require no assumptions concerning its mechanism of action. This approach was necessary because we anticipated that the src protein would be present at relatively low levels in the transformed cells, therefore making direct identification impossible. For example, the precursor to the major virion structural proteins is present at such low levels it can be identified only by immunoprecipitation [5]. Furthermore, since there are such a variety of biochemical changes reported to occur in transformed cells, it is difficult to predict at what level the src gene product might disrupt normal cellular processes. This, in turn, makes an accurate forecast concerning its function unlikely.KeywordsProtein Kinase ActivityTranslation ProductNormal Cellular ProcessAvian Sarcoma VirusChick CellThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.