Interrupting the Early Region of Polyoma Virus DNA Enhances Tumorigenicity

The tumorigenicity of DNA from polyoma virus after cleavage with a variety of restriction enzymes was evaluated in suckling hamsters. Cleavage with enzymes that interrupt the region of the genome coding for the large tumor (T) antigen of polyoma virus markedly enhanced the tumorigenicity above that observed with DNA I of the virus. Cell lines established in vitro from tumors induced by polyoma virions, polyoma virus DNA I, or polyoma virus DNA that had been cleaved with restriction endonucleases in the early region all contain the polyoma virus middle and small T antigens but not the large T antigen. These findings indicate that the large T antigen of polyoma virus is not required for maintenance of the transformed state and probably not for initiation of tumorigenesis by viral DNA.