Simian virus 40-related DNA sequences in a human brain tumor.

Papovaviruses can induce experimental brain neoplasms in animals, and some papovaviruses have been implicated in the formation of various human tumors. We examined a series of seven human brain tumors removed at craniotomy for the presence of viral DNA sequences by the technique of DNA-DNA hybridization. Simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA was labeled in vitro and used as a "probe" for detecting related DNA sequences in cellular DNA extracted from brain tumors. SV40-related DNA sequences were found in DNA extracted from one tumor, a glioblastoma multiforme. It was calculated that approximately 1.2 viral genome equivalents per diploid cell were present in the tumor. Since the rate of reassociation of the probe deviated from ideal second-order kinetics, it is surmised that either only a portion of the SV40 genome was present in tumor cells or, alternatively, that the probe detected a related human papovavirus.