Characterization of a T-antigen-negative revertant isolated from a mouse cell line which undergoes rearrangement of integrated simian virus 40 DNA.

A transformation revertant has been isolated from an unusual line of simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed BALB/c-3T3 cells in which rearrangements of integrated viral sequences are common. The revertant produces no SV40 T antigens, yields no virus on fusion with permissive cells, and can be retransformed by SV40 virions. SV40 DNA sequences are present within the cellular DNA, but interruption of the viral early transcription region by deletion and recombination with cellular sequences precludes the synthesis of T antigens. Analysis of this revertant lends further support to the notion that large T antigen plays an essential role in the maintenance of transformation in SV40-transformed BALB/c-3T3 cells. Examination of integration of SV40 DNA in this revertant, as well as in a temperature-sensitive A transformant, after retransformation by SV40 confirms that sequence homology plays little role in the insertion of SV40 DNA into cellular chromosomes.