The expression of SV40 large T-antigen in embryonal carcinoma-SV40 transformed somatic cell hybrids

Abstract

SV40 infection of most murine cell types leads to the production of only the viral early proteins, T-and t-antigens. These SV40 early proteins are not produced in murine embryonal carcinoma cells which are the stem cells of teratocarcinomas. To help elucidate the nature of the host cell range restriction to SV40 early gene expression in embryonal carcinoma cells, somatic cell hybrids were constructed between SV40 transformed cells expressing the viral T-antigen and the embryonal carcinoma cell line, F9. All four independently isolated and cloned somatic cell hybrid cell lines produced the SV40 large T-antigen. The host range restriction to SV40 in embryonal carcinoma cells thus behaves as a recessive property, lacking the required cellular functions for SV40 early gene expression.