Selection of rat hepatoma cells defective in hormone-regulated production of mouse mammary tumor virus RNA.

We have been studying the mechanism of glucocorticoid hormone action by using mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-infected rat hepatoma cells as a model system. J2.17, a clonal cell line that contains one MMTV provirus, induces tyrosine aminotransferase (TyrATase; L-tyrosine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.5), viral RNA, and the cell surface viral glycoprotein gp52 in response to dexamethasone. Using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter and a rabbit antiserum directed against gp52, we selected a cell population that displays a reduced hormone-mediated increase in cell surface gp52. Fourteen clones of this population were assayed for induction of viral gp52 and RNA and of cellular TyrATase. The results of these assays revealed that the clones display a variety of responses to hormone. One clone has retained wild-type responses of both TyrATase and gp52. Six clones exhibit coordinately reduced or abolished responses of both markers. Seven clones show normal induction of TyrATase but reduced or undetectable induction of gp52. These latter clones exhibit reduced production of MMTV RNA and thus may represent a unique class of variants defective in the regulation of MMTV gene expression.