MECHANISM OF VIRAL CARCINOGENESIS BY DNA MAMMALIAN VIRUSES, II. VIRAL-SPECIFIC RNA IN TUMOR CELLS INDUCED BY “WEAKLY” ONCOGENIC HUMAN ADENOVIRUSES

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Abstract
Cultures of tumor cells induced by "weakly" oncogenic adenovirus (Ad) types 3, 7, 14, and 16 possess viral-specific RNA''s readily detected by the formationof specific DNA-RNA hybrids with viral DNA. Each of these viral-specific RNA''s hybridizes with the DNA''s of all 6 members of the "weakly" oncogenic adenovirus (Ad 3, 7, 14, 16, and 21) but not with the DNA''s of "highly" oncogenic Ad 12 and 18. Thus 2 different classes of adenovirus-specific RNA are synthesized by adenovirus tumor cells, one in tumor cells induced by "highly" oncogenic adenoviruses and the other in tumor cells induced by "weakly" oncogenic adenoviruses. At most 1/2 of the viral genome functions in the synthesis of viral-specific RNA. Ad 12-specific RNA is readily demonstrated in primary hamster tumors induced by Ad 12. The presence of viral-specific RNA in cultured tumor cells induced by 6 different human adenoviruses and the ability to detect viral-specific RNA in tumor tissue directly suggest the feasibility of testing human cancers for viral etiology by the detection of viral-specific RNA.