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

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Abstract
Several 50-70S tumor viral RNA were previouly shown by EM 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, an endogenous murine ecotropic virus; NZB, an endogenous murine xenotropic virus; an ecotropic and an amphotropic virus isolated from a wild mouse; and the avian reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). All five 50-70S RNA have similar 5''-to-5'' dimer structures. The dimer linkage is a structural feature common to all type C mammalian viruses. REV is the 1st example of an avian virus with a clear 5''-to-5'' dimer linkage. All of the mammalian viral RNA, 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.