Sarcoma-Virus-Related RNA Sequences in Normal Rat Cells

A rat type C virus spontaneously activated from the NRK (normal rat kidney) cell line was found to have two major size classes of viral RNA subunits sedimenting at 35 and 30 S. Virus-producing cells contained both RNA species, while normal ``virus-free'' rat cells contained primarily virus-specific 30S RNA species. A DNA transcript, specific for Kirsten sarcoma virus, prepared from virus activated in nonproducer BALB/c cells originally transformed by Kirsten sarcoma virus and rendered specific for the virus by absorption of sequences related to mouse helper virus hybridized only with the 30S RNA species of virus-producing rat cells and normal rat cells. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that sarcoma-specific nucleic acid sequences in Kirsten sarcoma virus emerged through a process that incorporated some portions of 30S RNA species from rat cells (either normal or virus-producing) into the Kirsten leukemia virus during passage in vivo of that virus. The virus designated M-MSV(RaLV), which originally derived from tumor induced by Moloney sarcoma virus (M-MSV) in rats, contained 35S RNA species of rat type C viruses and 30S RNA species specific for both rat and mouse viruses. It appears striking that for these two animal species, sarcoma-virus-specific information resides on a 30S subunit.