Characterization of an Endogenous Primate Virus: Extent of Nucleic Acid Homology with Various DNAs

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

1978-09

Type of Work

Department

Hood College Biology

Program

Hood College Biomedical Science

Citation of Original Publication

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Subjects

Abstract

A [ 3 H]cDNA viral probe has been prepared from the baboon endogenous virus isolate designated M7 via the endogenous reverse transcriptase reaction. The M7 [ 3 H]cDNA viral probe reassociated extensively and with high thermal stability to both its original viral genomic RNA template and DNA of baboon origin. Hybridization of this M7cDNA probe with baboon (Papio cynocephalus) cellular DNAs obtained from established cell lines and frozen tissues detected approximately 40 to 95 copies of viral-related DNA sequences per haploid genome. Approximately 10 to 20 times fewer copies of viral-related sequences were detected in the DNAs extracted from cell lines exogenously infected with a baboon endogenous virus than were detected in DNAs of P. cynocephalus origin. No correlation was found to exist between the level of active virus production by established baboon cell lines and the number of viral-related sequences detected in their cellular DNAs. In addition, less than one copy of viral-related sequences per haploid genome was detected in cellular DNA of mouse, normal human, and leukemic human origin. All hybridization reactions were conducted under conditions of low stringency in order to detect even distantly related sequences. The ratio of cellular DNA to M7cDNA used in all experiments was sufficient to detect at least one copy of viral-related sequences per haploid genome.