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H M Temin

Publications and source records attributed to H M Temin.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Pseudotyped retroviral vectors reveal restrictions to reticuloendotheliosis virus replication in rat cells.

Reticuloendotheliosis viruses (Rev) replicate in chicken and dog cells, but not in rat cells. Amphotropic murine leukemia viruses (Am-MLV) replicate in chicken, dog, and rat cells. Transcription from the Rev long terminal repeat, determined by the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay, was not significantly different from transcription from the MLV long terminal repeat in rat cells. To determine further the step(s) in the retroviral life cycle that is blocked for Rev replication in rat cells, we took advantage of the wide host range of Am-MLV (S. Rasheed, M. B. Gardner, and E. Chan, J. Virol. 19:13-18, 1976) and the ability to form Rev-Am-MLV pseudotypes. Data from these pseudotypes indicate that the block to Rev replication in rat cells is posttranscriptional.

Animals↗

High mutation rate of a spleen necrosis virus-based retrovirus vector.

Spleen necrosis virus (SNV) is an avian retrovirus that efficiently infects some mammalian cells (e.g., dog and rat cells). We constructed an SNV-based vector, which contains less than 1 kilobase (kb) of the retrovirus sequence, and a number of derivatives containing selectable markers. We obtained high-titer virus stocks, over 10(6) transforming units per ml, with a vector whose genomic RNA consists of 1,850 bases (full-length SNV RNA is 7.7 kb). We also studied two vectors that both carry two genes which should be expressed from a single promoter, one gene from unspliced mRNA and the other gene from spliced mRNA. In one vector, both genes were efficiently expressed as expected. However, in the other vector, expression of the gene 3' to the splice acceptor was inhibited. When we selected for expression of the 3' gene is this latter case, we found that the resistant cells contained mutant proviruses in which the 3' gene could be expressed. Furthermore, we found that mutations were generated during a single round of virus replication (provirus to provirus) at a rate of approximately 0.5% mutations per cycle.

Animals↗

Activation of oncogenicity of the c-rel proto-oncogene.

Reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (Rev-T) induces a lethal lymphoma in young birds and transforms avian lymphoid cells in vitro. The transforming gene of Rev-T, v-rel, was derived from the turkey proto-oncogene c-rel. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of v-rel and c-rel indicates that in addition to several internal amino acid changes relative to c-rel, p59v-rel has amino acid sequences at both ends derived from the reticuloendotheliosis virus strain A-related virus env gene (K. C. Wilhelmsen, K. Eggleton, and H. M. Temin, J. Virol. 52:172-182, 1984). In this report, the v-rel sequences important for transformation were defined by constructing recombinant retroviruses in which c-rel sequences replaced the analogous v-rel sequences. These recombinant viruses expressing chimeric proteins were tested for their ability to transform spleen cells in vitro and to induce tumors in young chickens. Activation of the oncogenicity of c-rel in Rev-T required alteration of the amino terminus and the central region of the protein. Deletion of the noncoding sequences 3' to c-rel and of most of the helper virus-related env sequences was necessary for the formation of Rev-T.

Animals↗

Quantitative analysis of gene suppression in integrated retrovirus vectors.

Previously, we described a retrovirus vector that contained two genes: a 5' gene under transcriptional control of the viral long terminal repeat and a 3' gene under transcriptional control of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter. By using a biological assay, we found that expression of the 5' gene is suppressed when there was selection for the 3' gene and expression of the 3' gene is suppressed when there is selection for the 5' gene (M. Emerman and H. M. Temin, Cell 39:459-467, 1984). In the present study, we replaced the thymidine kinase promoter with stronger promoters, and we measured expression of the genes in the retrovirus vectors by enzyme activity and RNA analysis. We found that all of the vectors displayed gene suppression when analyzed biochemically, although not when analyzed biologically. The suppressed genes produced about 10 to 50% as much product as when they were selected. The amount of suppression depended on whether the suppressed gene was 5' or 3' to the selected gene and from which promoter the suppressed gene was transcribed. The amount of suppression correlated with a decrease in the amount of steady-state RNA transcribed from the suppressed gene's promoter.

Animals↗

Reverse transcription in the eukaryotic genome: retroviruses, pararetroviruses, retrotransposons, and retrotranscripts.

Recent studies indicate that greater than 10% of the human and mouse genome appears to consist of integrated DNA copies of RNA molecules. These sequences include retroviruses, retrovirus-like DNAs, retrotransposons, and retrotranscripts and represent more than 500,000 separate integration events. The nature of the enzymes used for the reverse transcription from RNA to DNA and for integration of the DNA copies into chromosomal DNA is unknown. A major evolutionary effect of these integrations would have been mutation. Thus, present-day organisms are those that survived this mutational load.

Animals↗

Do we understand the genetic mechanisms of oncogenesis? Keynote address for Honey Harbor meeting on cellular and molecular biology of neoplasia, October 2-6, 1983.

Different experiments with viruses and transfection now support the classical view that cancer is the result of a multistep process. This analysis further indicates that some of these steps involve mutations affecting the qualitative and quantitative expression of dominant transforming genes or oncogenes. These mutations are spontaneous or induced and of various kinds, including base pair changes, deletions, translocations, and amplifications. The actions of the active transforming genes or oncogenes lead to the properties of the tumor cell. However, these activities are effective only in the appropriate cell with targets for the products of the oncogenes and without inhibitors. Because there will be multiple genetic changes in tumor cells, it is difficult to determine which changes are significant for the oncogenesis. Retrovirus vectors may be useful in this determination. In addition, our present methods of analysis may be missing certain of the multiple steps in oncogenesis, in particular, those involved with tissue-, organ-, and organism-specific controls.

Animals↗

Circles with two tandem LTRs are precursors to integrated retrovirus DNA.

Infection of susceptible cells by retroviruses results in the synthesis of linear DNA with two long terminal repeats (LTRs), circular DNA with a single LTR, and circular DNA with two tandem LTRs. To determine which of these unintegrated molecules serves as the precursor to the provirus, we inserted into a retrovirus vector a 49 bp fragment containing the junction formed by in vivo blunt-end ligation of two LTRs. Infection of chicken embryo fibroblasts with virus recovered from this vector and subsequent characterization of the proviral DNA revealed that efficient integration can occur from this introduced junction sequence. Therefore, circular DNA with two tandem LTRs is a precursor to the provirus.

Cell Transformation, Viral↗

Recombination of transfected DNAs in vertebrate cells in culture.

We studied the frequency of homologous and illegitimate recombinations between transfected noninfectious retroviral DNA molecules in chicken embryo fibroblasts. The frequency of recombination was determined by the formation of infectious virus and varied with the extent of homology between the DNA molecules at the site of recombination, but only when there were regions of homology surrounding this region. While homologous recombination led to the formation of wild-type virus, illegitimate recombination resulted in formation of infectious virus with alterations at the site of recombination. Apparent homologous recombination was also observed between transfected and chromosomal DNAs in D17 dog cells.

Animals↗

The retrovirus pol gene encodes a product required for DNA integration: identification of a retrovirus int locus.

We mutagenized cloned spleen necrosis virus DNA to identify a region of the retrovirus genome encoding a polypeptide required for integration of viral DNA. Five plasmids bearing different lesions in the 3' end of the pol gene were examined for the ability to integrate or replicate following transfection of chicken embryo fibroblasts. Transfection with one of these DNAs resulted in the generation of mutant virus incapable of integrating but able to replicate at low levels; this phenotype is identical to that of mutants bearing alterations in the cis-acting region, att. To determine whether the 3' end of the pol gene encodes a protein that interacts with att, we did a complementation experiment. Cells were first infected with an att- virus and then superinfected with the integration-deficient virus containing a lesion in the pol gene and a wild-type att site. The results showed that the att- virus provided a transacting function allowing integration of viral DNA derived from the mutant bearing a wild-type att site. Thus, the 3' end of the pol gene serves as an "int" locus and encodes a protein mediating integration of retrovirus DNA through interaction with att.

Animals↗

Structure and dimorphism of c-rel (turkey), the cellular homolog to the oncogene of reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T.

A locus has been identified in turkey DNA that contains nucleotide sequences homologous to the oncogene (v-rel) in the avian retrovirus, reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T. This locus, c-rel, has been molecularly cloned from an apparently heterozygous turkey. c-rel is approximately 23 kilobase pairs in length, with at least seven apparent introns, and contains sequences sufficient to account for all of v-rel. Nucleic acid sequence differences exist between v-rel and homologous regions of c-rel. We examined a population of turkeys to determine whether these sequence differences are the result of polymorphism in the population. Within the turkey population, c-rel is dimorphic in apparent introns and 3' flanking sequences, but polymorphism has not been detected within the regions of the c-rel locus that are homologous to v-rel. Additionally, no nucleic acid sequence differences have been detected between the regions of c-rel in turkeys that are homologous to v-rel and the sequences related to v-rel of a homologous locus in chickens (Chen et al., J. Virol. 245:104-113, 1983). The general organization of introns and flanking sequences is conserved for both c-rel in turkeys and this locus in chickens, indicating that c-rel, like other proto-oncogenes, may have an important development or metabolic function.

Animals↗

High-frequency deletion in recovered retrovirus vectors containing exogenous DNA with promoters.

We previously described infectious retrovirus vectors constructed from spleen necrosis virus which contain the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene and the mouse alpha-globin gene (K. Shimotohno and H. M. Temin, Nature [London] 299:255-268, 1982). In the present study we report that when TK- chicken cells infected with a virus containing the mouse alpha-globin promoter and other 5' noncoding sequences in addition to the alpha-globin coding sequences were selected for thymidine kinase (TK) activity, all virus-producing TK+ cell clones shed virus with a deletion. These deletions were of different sizes and included the mouse alpha-globin coding sequences and the mouse alpha-globin transcriptional promoter. One of the deleted viruses was molecularly cloned. DNA sequencing showed that the deleted sequences are flanked by a short direct repeat. This deleted virus was also shown to have an advantage over the nondeleted parent both in multiplication and in its specific TK-transforming unit titer. In contrast to the results described above, TK+ cell clones established with viruses that contained only the coding sequences from the mouse alpha-globin gene did not delete and were stable over many cell passages. The implications of the high-frequency deletion of the viruses with internal promoters are discussed in terms of the evolution of retroviruses and the construction of retrovirus vectors.

Animals↗

Nucleic acid sequences of the oncogene v-rel in reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T and its cellular homolog, the proto-oncogene c-rel.

Reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (Rev-T) is a highly oncogenic replication-defective retrovirus which contains the oncogene v-rel. It is thought that Rev-T arose when a virus similar to Rev-A, the helper virus of Rev-T, infected a turkey and recombined with c-rel from that turkey. There is one large c-rel locus in the turkey genome which contains all of the sequences homologous to v-rel (K. C. Wilhelmsen and H. M. Temin, J. Virol. 49:521-529, 1984). We have sequenced v-rel and its flanking sequences, each of the regions of the c-rel locus from turkey that are homologous to v-rel and their flanking sequences, and the coding sequence for env and part of pol of Rev-A. The v-rel coding sequences can be translated into a 503-amino acid env-v-rel-out-of-frame-env fusion polypeptide. We have not detected any sequences in the Los Alamos or University of California-San Diego data bases that are more significantly related to the amino acid or nucleic acid sequence of v-rel than to the randomized sequence of v-rel. Comparison of Rev-A, Rev-T, and c-rel indicates that the v-rel sequences may have been transduced from the c-rel (turkey) locus by a novel mechanism. There are sequences in Rev-A and c-rel that are similar to splicing signals, indicating that the 5' virus-rel junction of Rev-T may have been formed by cellular RNA splicing machinery. Eight presumed introns have presumably been spliced out of c-rel to generate v-rel. There are also short imperfect regions of homology between sequences at the boundaries of v-rel and sequences in Rev-A and c-rel (turkey), indicating that c-rel may have been transduced by homologous recombination. There are many differences between the amino acid sequences of the predicted translational products of v-rel and c-rel which may account for their difference in transformation potential. These sequence differences between v-rel and c-rel include 10 missense transitions, four missense transversions, and three places where Rev-T has a small in-frame deletion of sequences relative to c-rel. Most of the coding sequence differences between c-rel and v-rel are nonconservative amino acid changes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The location of v-src in a retrovirus vector determines whether the virus is toxic or transforming.

We prepared infectious stocks of an avian retrovirus, a modified spleen necrosis virus, containing the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene and the avian sarcoma virus v-src gene. Viruses were recovered after cotransfection of chicken cells with DNA of recombinants between cloned spleen necrosis virus thymidine kinase and v-src and with DNA of cloned reticuloendotheliosis virus strain A. When v-src was inserted near the 5'end of the viral genome, only low titers of recombinant virus were recovered. Most of the recovered viruses were smaller than expected and did not transform the morphology of rat or chicken cells. A very small amount of virus of the expected structure was recovered; this virus transformed rat cells and expressed v-src. Cotransfection data indicated that one reason we failed to recover a significant titer of recombinant virus is that efficient expression of v-src is acutely toxic to chicken and dog cells. Insertion of v-src near the 3' end of the viral genome, such that it was expressed at a lower level compared with the 5'-v-src-containing virus, yielded a higher titer of recombinant virus, and this virus was transforming. The differences in the recovery and transforming activity of these viruses indicate that the location of an oncogene in the viral genome is an important factor regulating the level of its expression and whether or not this expression is toxic or transforming to cells.

Animals↗

Expression from an internal AUG codon of herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene inserted in a retrovirus vector.

We identified structural features that affect the expression of an exogenous gene inserted into a retrovirus vector constructed by using spleen necrosis virus, an avian retrovirus. The thymidine kinase gene from herpes simplex virus type 1 containing deletions in the promoter and terminal sequences of the mRNA was inserted into spleen necrosis virus. We found that synthesis of thymidine kinase by the recovered virus was apparently initiated from internal AUG residues. At least in some cases, however, the level of expression depended on the number of AUGs and the nucleotide sequence around the AUGs that preceded the initiator codon of the thymidine kinase gene.

Codon↗

Expression of complete chicken thymidine kinase gene inserted in a retrovirus vector.

The chicken thymidine kinase (tk) gene was inserted into spleen necrosis virus. Thymidine kinase activity was expressed even when the promoter and terminator sequences for tk RNA synthesis were retained. When the promoter was present in the same orientation as the promoter in the long terminal repeat of the virus, deletions occurred both in the virus and in the tk gene, and the thymidine kinase-transforming activity of the recovered virus was low. Splicing of apparent intervening sequences in the tk gene was also observed. When the orientation of the tk promoter was opposite to the promoter in the long terminal repeat, virus synthesis was diminished, whereas thymidine kinase activity was expressed at an elevated level compared with virus in which the promoter was in the same orientation. However, when the apparent tk promoter was deleted from virus with the tk gene in the opposite orientation, a high level of virus synthesis was observed, probably as a result of absence of interference of RNA synthesis from converging promoters. The intervening sequences in the virus in which the promoters were in opposite orientation were not spliced.

Animals↗

Genes with promoters in retrovirus vectors can be independently suppressed by an epigenetic mechanism.

We have constructed retrovirus vectors containing two genes, each with its own promoter, whose products can be selected in vivo. In cell clones harboring a single copy of this bicistronic provirus, we find that the 3' gene is usually suppressed when there is selection for expression of the 5' gene, and the 5' gene is usually suppressed when there is selection for expression of the 3' gene. We find that the suppression is epigenetic, reversible, and cis-acting, and is influenced by the strength or position of the different promoters. This type of gene suppression is novel for its action on a gene that can be either upstream or downstream to an adjacent active gene.

Animals↗