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Published March 1, 1978 | public
Journal Article Open

High-molecular-weight RNAs of AKR, NZB, and wild mouse viruses and avian reticuloendotheliosis virus all have similar dimer structures

Abstract

Several 50 to 70S tumor viral RNAs have previously been shown by electron microscopy to be dimers, with the two monomer subunits joined near their 5' ends. Five additional naturally occurring type C RNA tumor viruses have now been examined: AKR, and endogenous murine ecotropic virus; NZB, an endogenous murine xenotropic virus; and ecotropic and an amphotropic virus isolated from a wild mouse; and the avian reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). All five 50 to 70S RNAs have similar 5'-to-5' dimer structures. Therefore, the observations support the hypothesis that the dimer linkage is a structural feature common to all type C mammalian viruses. REV is the first example of an avian virus with a clear 5'-to-5' dimer linkage. All of the mammalian viral RNAs, but not REV, showed symmetrically placed loops in each subunit of the dimer. Possible molecular structures and biological functions of the dimer linkages and loops are discussed.

Additional Information

Copyright © 1978, American Society for Microbiology. Received for publication 20 October 1977 We thank Marilyn R. Lander and Wallace P. Rowe of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for assistance and advice. W.B. has been the recipient of a National Science Foundation fellowship and of a Public Health Service training grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This research has been supported by Public Health Service contracts NO1-CP-43306 and NO1-CP-53500 with the Virus Cancer Program of the National Cancer Institute. Y.C. has been supported by Public Health Service postdoctoral fellowship no. 5-F32-CA-05099 from the National Cancer Institute.

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Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 13, 2023