Abelson murine leukemia virus mutants with alterations in the virus-specific P120 molecule

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Abstract
Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) is a replication-defective virus that transforms fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells [mouse] in vitro. The virus encodes a 120,000 MW protein (P120) that is composed of Moloney murine leukemia virus-derived gag gene sequences and A-MuLV-specific sequences. This protein is the only A-MuLV-encoded protein that is detected and thus P120 is a candidate for the transforming protein of A-MuLV. Isolation and characterization of 3 new A-MuLV isolates that do not synthesize P120 but do produce analogous proteins of larger (160,000 MW) and smaller (100,000 and 90,000 MW) size is reported. All of these A-MuLV isolates transform fibroblasts and lymphoid cells in vitro. Because the different A-MuLV proteins vary in the A-MuLV-specific region of the molecule, these variants may set a maximum limit on the size of the A-MuLV transforming protein.