Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Isolation of a feline leukaemia provirus containing the oncogene myc from a feline lymphosarcoma

Nature volume 308, pages 853–856 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

The molecular mechanism by which feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) induces lymphoid malignancy in domestic cats is largely unknown1. Using the insertional activation model of c-myc by avian leukosis virus in the induction of bursal lymphoma in chickens2,3, we have now characterized the c-myc locus in feline tissues and investigated the possibility that FeLV may also insert within feline c-myc. We used the 1.5 kilobase (kb) PstI fragment of MC29 v-myc in Southern blot analysis to characterize the structure of the c-myc locus in the DNA of 31 naturally occurring feline lymphomas. Analysis of a cloned c-myc gene from one lymphoma demonstrated that sequences homologous to v-myc occupy 2.6 kb of feline DNA in which a putative intron of 0.5 kb separates sequences homologous to the 5′ and 3′ exons represented in avian v-myc4,5. We also observed in the DNA of this lymphoma tumour-specific fragments homologous to v-myc. Characterization of these molecularly cloned myc-hybridizing fragments revealed the presence of at least two identical FeLV proviruses 5.5 kb in length, each containing long terminal repeats enclosing a spliced version of the feline myc gene.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hardy, W. D. Jr., Essex, M. & McClelland, A. J. (eds) Feline Leukemia Virus (Elsevier, New York, 1980).

  2. Hayward, W. S., Neel, B. G. & Astrin, S. M. Nature 290, 475–480 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Payne, G. S., Bishop, J. M. & Varmus, H. E. Nature 295, 209–214 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Robins, T., Bister, K., Garon, C., Papas, T. & Duesberg, P. J. Virol. 41, 635–642 (1982).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Vennstrom, B., Sheiness, D., Zabilseki, J. & Bishop, J. M. J. Virol. 42, 773–779 (1982).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Southern, E. M. J. molec. Biol. 98, 503–518 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Vennstrom, B., Moscovici, C., Goodman, H. M. & Bishop, J. M. J. Virol. 39, 625–631 (1981).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Casey, J. W. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 7778–7782 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Murray, N. E. in Lambda II (eds Hendrix, R. W., Roberts, J. W., Stahl, F. W. & Weisberg, R. A.) 395–432 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Benton, W. D. & Davis, R. W. Science 196, 180–182 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Prentki, P., Karch, F., Iida, S. & Meyers, J. Gene 14, 189–299 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gardner, M. B. et al. Nature 226, 807–809 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Mullins, J. I., Casey, J. W., Nicolson, M. O. & Davidson, N. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 3287–3305 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Elder, J. H. & Mullins, J. I. J. Virol. 46, 871–880 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Mullins, J. et al. (in preparation).

  16. Frankel, A. E., Gilbert, J. H., Porzig, K. J., Scolnick, E. M. & Aaronson, S. A. J. Virol. 30, 821–827 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Donner, L., Fedele, L. A., Garon, C. F., Anderson, S. J. & Sherr, C. J. J. Virol. 41, 489–500 (1982).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Naharro, G. et al. J. Virol. 47, 611–619 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Besmer, P., Synder, H. W. Jr., Murphy, J. E., Hardy, W. D. Jr & Parodi, A. J. Virol. 46, 606–613 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Besmer, P. et al. Nature 303, 825–828 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Sternberg, N., Tiemeier, D. & Enquist, L. Gene 1, 255–280 (1977).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. L. S. Levy

    Present address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA

  2. J. W. Casey

    Present address: Section of Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, 21701, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA

    L. S. Levy & J. W. Casey

  2. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    M. B. Gardner

Authors
  1. L. S. Levy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. B. Gardner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. W. Casey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Levy, L., Gardner, M. & Casey, J. Isolation of a feline leukaemia provirus containing the oncogene myc from a feline lymphosarcoma. Nature 308, 853–856 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308853a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/308853a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing