Rous Sarcoma and Its Helper Viruses (A Review)

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Abstract
Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) produces characteristic foci of transformed cells in chick embryo cell culture (CEF). Resistance-inducing factor (RIF) is an avian leukosis virus which induces resistance of CEF to transformation by RSV. Rous associated virus (RAV) is a similar virus found in certain stocks of RSV. The RSV genome can control for cellular transformation; the morphology of transformation; and replication of its own ribonucleic acid (RNA). However, it is defective because it is unable to mature to infectious virus. It cannot produce the virus-specific portion of its own lipoprotein coat. For this it is dependent on a helper virus, which may be RIF, RAV, or one of many leukosis viruses. RSV takes on toe antigenicity of its helper virus. The RSV genome has a "prophage-like" existence in transformed nonvirus-producing (NP) cells. The latter have no unique antigen, and therefore multiply in-vivo unhindered by any immunologic response of the host.