Altered globin gene transcription pattern and the presence of a 7-8 kb alpha A globin gene transcript in avian erythroblastosis virus-transformed cells.

Immature chick erythroid cells transformed by avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV) display an altered pattern of globin gene transcription leading to the abortive phenotypic expression of such transcripts. Detectable adult globin gene-specific RNA sequences, confined exclusively to the nucleus, are uniquely of the alpha A type. The alpha A globin-specific sequences occur in transcripts 7-8 kb long from which the 5' contiguous alpha D gene product is absent, and also in fragments smaller than 9S globin mRNA. The implication of this observation for schemes of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and viral transformation are discussed.