RNA SPECIFIC FOR THE TRANSFORMING COMPONENT OF AVIAN ERYTHROBLASTOSIS VIRUS STRAIN-R

Avian erythroblastosis virus strain R (AEV) contains two species of RNA, 35 S and 30 S, when rescued from nonproducing AEV-transformed chicken cells as pseudotypes of Rous-associated virus-1 (RAV-1) or of AEV-associated virus (REAV). Biological and electrophoretic data suggest that the 30 S RNA is specific for the transforming component of AEV. In fingerprint analysis of RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides the 30 S RNA of AEV(RAV-1) yields 13 distinct oligonucleotide spots, 7 of which are unique to the 30 S RNA of AEV, the others are common to RAV-1. The fingerprint of 30 S RNA obtained from AEV(REAV) revealed a similar pattern of unique and shared oligonucleotides. These data suggest that the genome of AEV strain R contains specific genetic sequences which may code for a product that causes transformation of the host cell. © 1979.