Acquisition of host cell genetic information by avian sarcoma virus rescued from rat cells transformed by B77 virus.

The properties of avian sarcoma virus B77 grown in chick cells were compared with those of virus obtained by fusion of rat cells transformed by B77 virus ( RB77 cells) with chick cells ( FB77 virus). Differences in the B77 and FB77 viral genomes were demonstrated by the fingerprint technique. The rescued FB77 virus contained sequences homologous to the normal cell genome. These results suggest that the rescued FB77 virus is a recombinant between B77 virus and rat genomic elements. The RNAs from B77 and FB77 viruses were found to have similar molecular weights. The migration rates of the structural proteins and the large glycoprotein (gp 85) in polyacrylamide gels were the same for the B77 and FB77 viruses, but the small glycoprotein (gp) of the FB77 virus was found to be slightly larger than the gp37 of the B77 virus.