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J. Virol., 02 1995, 923-934, Vol 69, No. 2
JF Cavender, A Conn, M Epler, H Lacko and MJ Tevethia
The simian virus 40 large T antigen immortalizes growing primary cells in
culture. In addition, this viral oncoprotein cooperates with an activated
ras protein to produce dense foci on monolayers of rat embryo fibroblasts
(REF). The relationship between independent immortalization and cooperative
transformation with ras has not been defined. Previously, two regions of T
antigen were shown to contain immortalization activities. An N-terminal
fragment consisting of amino acids 1 to 147 immortalizes rodent cells (L.
Sompayrac and K. J. Danna, Virology 181:412-415, 1991). Loss-of-function
analysis indicated that immortalization depended on integrity of the
T-antigen segments containing amino acids 351 to 450 and 533 to 626 (T. D.
Kierstead and M. J. Tevethia, J. Virol. 67:1817-1829, 1993). The
experiments described here were directed toward determining whether these
same T- antigen regions were sufficient for cooperation with ras.
Initially, constructs that produce T antigens containing amino acids 176 to
708 (T176-708) or 1 to 147 were tested in a ras cooperation assay. Both
polypeptides cooperated with ras to produce dense foci on monolayers of
primary REF. These results showed that T antigen contains two separate ras
cooperation activities. In order to determine the N-terminal limit of the
ras cooperation activity contained within the T176-708 polypeptide, a
series of constructs designed to produce fusion proteins containing
T-antigen segments beginning at residues 251, 301, 337, 351, 371, 401, 451,
501, 551, 601, and 651 was generated. Each of these constructs was tested
for the capacity to cooperate with ras to produce dense foci on REF
monolayers. The results indicated that a polypeptide containing T-antigen
amino acids 251 to 708 (T251-708) was sufficient to cooperate with ras,
whereas the more extensively truncated products were not. The abilities of
the N-terminally truncated T antigens to bind p53 were examined in
p53-deficient cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing a
phenotypically wild-type mouse p53. The results showed that polypeptides
containing T-antigen amino acids 251 to 708, 301 to 708, 337 to 708, or 351
to 708 retained p53- binding capacity. The introduction into the T251-708
polypeptide of deletions that either prevented p53 binding (dl434-444) or
did not prevent p53 binding (dl400) abrogated ras cooperation. These
results indicated that although p53 binding may be necessary for ras
cooperation, an additional, as-yet-undefined activity contained within the
T251-708 polypeptide is needed.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Simian virus 40 large T antigen contains two independent activities that cooperate with a ras oncogene to transform rat embryo fibroblasts
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey 17033.
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