Structure of integrated simian virus 40 DNA in transformed mouse cells

The structure of integrated viral DNA sequences in four lines of simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed Balb/c 3T3 cells has been probed using restriction endonucleases and the Southern (1975) transfer method. By considering data from a large number of restriction digests of DNA from each line, and by using a novel method of handling the data, we have constructed fairly detailed physical maps of the integrated DNA in each line. The most striking of the features of the maps described here is that none is easily explained by the integration of a single SV40 genome into the DNA of the host cell. Three of the lines contain at least two distinct integrated segments and the fourth contains a single segment longer than the viral DNA. Considered individually, only two of the seven segments that we have mapped might be unit length. Of the remaining five, two are longer and three are shorter than the viral genome. It seems likely, therefore, that at least in SV40-transformed Balb/c 3T3 cells simple, single integrations are rare.The endpoints of these seven segments of integrated DNA fall at many positions distributed over the entire genome, confirming earlier studies (Ketner &; Kelly, 1976; Botchan et al., 1976), which indicated that SV40 integration is not absolutely site-specific.Finally, one of the lines mapped here (SVB209) does not possess an intact SV40 early region, an observation that suggests the possibility that a normal viral large T polypeptide is not synthesized by this line.     

Transformation of primary rat kidney cells by fragments of simian virus 40 DNA.

Linear simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA molecules of genome length and DNA fragments smaller than genome length when prepared with restriction endonucleases and tested for transforming activity on primary cultures of baby rat kidney cells. The linear molecules of genome length (prepared with endonucleases R-EcoRI, R-BamHI, and R-HpaII or R-HapII), a 74% fragment (EcoRI/HpaII or HapII-A), and a 59% fragment (BamHI/HapII-A) could all transform rat kidney cells with the same efficiency as circular SV40 DNA. All transformed lines tested contained the SV40-specific T-antigen in 90 to 100% of the cells, which was taken as evidence that the transformation was SV40 specific. The DNA fragments with transforming activity contained the entire early region of SV40 DNA. Endo R-HpaI, which introduced one break in the early region, apparently inactivated the transforming capacity of SV40 DNA, since no transformation was observed with any of the three HpaI fragments tested. Attempts were made to rescue infectious virus from some of the transformed lines by fusion with permissive BSC-1 cells. Infectious virus was only recovered from the cells transformed by circular form I DNA. No infectious virus could be isolated from any of the other types of transformed cells.     

一株高度变异的中国SV40分离株的全基因组序列分析

对SV40中国云南分离株YNQD38进行了全基因组核苷酸序列测定。覆盖了整个基因组的9个重叠的基因片段被扩增和测序,与其它SV40株进行了序列比对并基于全基因序列建立了遗传进化树。结果显示:基因组全长5125bp,基因组构成与其它SV40毒株相似,均有6个开放读码框架和1个调控区。YNQD38与已被证实高度保守的其它SV40比,全基因组核苷酸同源性仅为91.0%。在SV40的保守区VP1、VP2、VP3、小t抗原(t-ag)和部分大T抗原(不包括大T抗原C末端)区,YNQD38与其它SV40之间核苷酸同源性分别为90.7%~91.1%、91.7%~92.0%、90.2%~90.8%、92.8%~93.3%、88.5%~89.7%。在SV40的可变区大T抗原C末端(T-ag-C)编码区,YNQD38同源性更低,仅为65.7%~74.3%。YNQD38发生在保守区的核苷酸变异多为无义突变,而发生在变异区的核苷酸变异多为有义突变。YNQD38的调控区缺少一个完整的72bp增强子,这种特别的调控区的结构以前未见报道。基于整个基因组构建的进化树显示该株病毒形成了一个独特的组。以上结果表明YNQD38是目前报道的SV40中变异最大的一株,而且也是第一株被完整测序的SV40中国株。这个报道不仅为SV40中国株的基础研究提供了一个完整清楚的分子生物学资料,还对这样一株高度变异的SV40能否成为人类致病因子进行了初步探讨。     

Overlapping of the VP2-VP3 gene and the VP1 gene in the SV40 genome.

The nucleotide sequence of the SV40 Hind E fragment has been determined mainly by the partial chemical degradation procedure of Maxam and Gilbert (1977). The sequence of the strand with the same polarity as the late messenger RNA shows only one open reading frame for translation. Considering that VP3 corresponds to the carbosyl terminal part of VP2, and considering various evidence which indicates that the SV40 Hind E segment is part of the amino acid sequence of VP2-VP3. It continues clockwise in Hind K, where it terminates with a UAA signal. The latter is located 110 nucleotides beyond the initiation signal for the major structural protein VP1 (Fiers et al., 1975; Van de Voorde et al., 1976). Hence this small overlapping region of the genome codes for the synthesis of three different proteins in two different reading frames. The deduced amino acid sequence covers a major part of the vp3 poly peptide, and the amino acid composition is in good agreement with published values (Greenaway and Levine, 1973).     

Palindromic adenovirus type 5-simian virus 40 hybrid.

A family of novel adenovirus type 5-simian virus 40 (Ad5-SV40) recombinants (Ad5++D1) whose genomes consist of symmetrically inverted structures was isolated. Particles of Ad5++D1 could contain one of several recombinant genomes that differed incrementally from one another by a full-length copy of linear SV40 DNA. The members of the Ad5++D1 family appeared to be in genetic equilibrium with one another. In all probability this equilibrium was maintained by homologous recombination, resulting in the loss or gain of one or two unit length copies of the SV40 genome. The genome of the most abundant recombinant from consisted of a giant inverted repeat which was some 35,000 nucleotide pairs in length. Beginning from one end, the recombinant genome consisted of 3,534 nucleotides derived from the left end of the adenovirus type 5 genome; these nucleotides were joined to 2.7 copies of SV40 DNA arranged as head-to-tail tandems. This entire structure was then repeated in the opposite orientation, thereby forming a large inverted repeat whose structure was Ad5-SV40-SV40-04VS-04VS-5dA. The population of hybrid genomes was stable and was maintained through serial rounds of infection.     

Nucleotide sequence of the restriction fragment Hind-F-EcoRI1 of simian-virus-40 DNA (part of the VP1 gene).

The nucleotide sequence of the simian virus 40 (SV40) genome region between the cleavage sites for restriction endonucleases EcoRI (map position 0) and HindII (map position 0.05) has been determined mainly by the partial chemical DNA degradation procedure of Maxam and Gilbert. This fragment represents 5.3% of the genome of SV40 and is located in the late region, internally in the VP1 gene. The message strand shows only one open reading frame for translation into protein, which connects to the one for the preceding fragment. On this basis part of the amino acid sequence of the VP1 protein is presented.     

Temperature dependence of strand separation of the DNA molecules containing integrated SV40 DNA in transformed cells.

It has previously been demonstrated that the DNA molecules containing a genetic marker from one region of a bacterial genome undergo complete strand separation at temperatures usually different from the molecules containing a genetic marker from another region of the genome. The experiments also showed that if a group of molecules undergo complete strand separation over a narrow temperature range, of the order of one to three degrees, it is highly likely that they all come from one region of the bacterial genome. The purpose of the work reported here was to establish appropriate procedures for doing a similar analysis of the DNA molecules containing the integrated SV40 DNA in transformed mouse cells. One result of interest is that in the 11A8 cell line about 40 per cent of the integrated SV40 DNA detectable by an RNA-DNA hybridization assay can be accounted for by a group of molecules which undergo complete strand separation within a 1.0 degree C interval.     

Phenotypic complementation of the SV40 tsA mutant defect in viral DNA synthesis following microinjection of SV40 T antigen.

African green monkey cells (CV-1P) were microinjected with highly purified SV40 T antigen using protein-loaded red cell ghosts and polyethylene glycol as fusagen. The microinjected cells were infected with a temperature-sensitive mutant of SV40 (tsA209) which is defective in the initiation of viral DNA synthesis. Using in situ hybridization as an assay method, we found that PEG-microinjection of both partially and highly purified T antigen resulted in an increase in the amount of viral DNA sequences in the monolayer. Moreover, 3H-thymidine-labeled and unlabeled Hirt supernatant from microinjected, tsA209-injected cells contained significantly more SV40 DNA than comparable extracts from sham-injected, tsA209-infected or uninfected cells, which were tested in parallel. Thus the introduction of highly purified, "large" SV40 T antigen led to phenotypic complementation of the tsA defect in viral DNA synthesis.     

Replicative intermediates in UV-irradiated simian virus 40

We have used Simian virus 40 (SV40) as a probe to study the replication of UV-damaged DNA in mammalian cells. Viral DNA replication in infected monkey kidney cells was synchronized by incubating a mutant of SV40 (tsA58) temperature-sensitive for the initiation of DNA synthesis at the restrictive temperature and then adding aphidicolin to temporarily inhibit DNA synthesis at the permissive temperature while permitting pre-replicative events to occur. After removal of the drug, the infected cells were irradiated at 100 J/m2 (254 nm) to produce 6-7 pyrimidine dimers per SV40 genome, and returned to the restrictive temperature to prevent reinitiation of replication from the SV40 origin. Replicative intermediates (RI) were labeled with [3H]thymidine, and isolated by centrifugation in CsCl/ethidium bromide gradients followed by BND-cellulose chromatography. The size distribution of daughter DNA strands in RI isolated shortly after irradiation was skewed towards lengths less than the interdimer spacing in parental DNA; this bias persisted for at least 1 h after irradiation, but disappeared within 3 h, by which time the size of the newly-synthesized DNA exceeded the interdimer distance. No significant excision of dimers from parental strands in either replicative intermediates or Form I (closed circular) DNA molecules was detected. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that replication forks are temporarily blocked by dimers encountered on the leading strand side of the fork, but that daughter strand continuity opposite dimers is eventually established. Evidence was obtained for the generation at late times after irradiation, of Form I molecules in which the daughter DNA strands contain dimers. Thus DNA strand exchange as well as trans-dimer synthesis may be involved in the generation of supercoiled Form I DNA from UV-damaged SV40 replicative intermediates.     

The early region of SV40 DNA may have more than one gene.

The nucleotide sequence of 70 base pairs (bp) around 0.545 map units (Alu I C and B junction) of the genome from the single Eco RI cleavage site within SV40 DNA is presented. The mRNA transcribed from the early strand template from this stretch contains two copies of the nonsense triplet UAA in each of the three reading frames. Thus at least 25% of the early region of SV40 DNA does not code for the SV40 "A" protein, and the viral contribution to events in the lytic cycle and transformation may be more complex than is generally appreciated.     

Excision of integrated simian virus 40 DNA involving homologous recombination between viral DNA sequences

We have investigated the structure of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA integrated into the genome of transformed mouse mKS-A cells. We have identified at least six independent integration units containing intact or truncated SV40 DNA sequences. One integration unit was isolated from a genomic mKS-A cell library and investigated by restriction enzyme analysis and partial nucleotide sequencing. This integration unit contains one apparently intact SV40 genome flanked on both sides by truncated versions of the SV40 genome. One of the flanking elements contains a large deletion in the SV40 "late" region and an abbreviated SV40 "early" region. This element was efficiently excised and mobilized after fusion of mKS-A to COS cells. The excision products invariably included the entire SV40 early region even though they were derived from an integrated element lacking this part of the SV40 genome. An analysis of this discrepancy led to the conclusion that the early region sequences were acquired by homologous recombination and, furthermore, that homologous excisional recombination was clearly preferred over non-homologous recombination.     

Variance and covariance components for liability of piglet survival during different periods

Variance and covariance components for piglet survival in different periods were estimated from individual records of 133 004 Danish Landrace piglets and 89 928 Danish Yorkshire piglets, using a liability threshold model including both direct and maternal additive genetic effects. At the individual piglet level, the estimates of direct heritability in Landrace were 0.035, 0.057 and 0.027, and in Yorkshire the estimates were 0.012, 0.030 and 0.025 for liability of survival at farrowing (SVB), from birth to day 5 (SV5) and from day 6 to weaning (SVW), respectively. The estimates of maternal heritability for SVB, SV5 and SVW were, respectively, 0.057, 0.040 and 0.030 in Landrace, and 0.050, 0.038 and 0.019 in Yorkshire. Both direct and maternal genetic correlations between the three survival traits were low and not significantly different from zero, except for a moderate direct genetic correlation between SVB and SV5 and between SV5 and SVW in Landrace. Direct and maternal genetic correlations between piglet birth weight (BW) and SV5 were moderately high, but the correlations between BW and SVB and between BW and SVW were low and most of them were not significantly different from zero. These results suggest that effective genetic improvement in piglet survival before weaning by selection should be based on both direct and maternal additive genetic effects and treat survival in different periods as different traits.