Quantitative analysis of the rescue of RNA sequences by mammalian type C viruses.

The specificity and quantitation of the rescue of RNA sequences by mammalian type C viruses has been investigated. Type C virus can package with specificity only type C viral RNA. Type C viruses do not encapsidate with comparable efficiency either type B viral or cellular globin mRNA. Conversely, a non-type C mammalian retravirus, MP-MV, cannot encapsidate type C RNA. A revertant of Kirsten sarcoma virus (Ki-SV)-transformed nonproducer cells which fails to rescue biologically active Ki-SV after superinfection with helper virus had no detectable intracellular Ki-SV-specific RNA. The results suggest specific mechanisms by which type C viral proteins can package type C viral RNA and provide an approach to classifying RNA of potentially defective endogenous retraviruses as type C in origin.