Deletion mutant of the Bratislava-77 strain of Rous sarcoma virus containing a fusion of the group-specific antigen and envelope genes.

The genetic compositions of two independently derived preparations of the Bratislava-77 strain (B77) of Rous sarcoma virus were analyzed after each was passaged seven or more times in duck embryo fibroblasts. RNase, T1-resistant oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis of virion RNA from both preparations of duck-passaged B77 revealed the presence of two large noncontiguous deletions. Approximately 75% of the RNAs contained a deletion which spans oligonucleotides 304 to 4 on the viral genome (about 3,500 nucleotides) and encompasses all of the B77 polymerase gene. More than 90% of the RNAs also contained a deletion which spans src-specific oligonucleotides 6 and 5(about 2,200 nucleotides) and is identical to the deletion observed in transformation-defective B77. Virion RNA from duck-passaged B77 also contained two oligonucleotides (D1 and D2) not observed in the RNA of B77 virus grown on chicken embryo fibroblasts. Analysis of the virion RNA of duck-passaged B77 by denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis revealed four major subunits with molecular weights of 3.40 x 10(6), 2.65 x 10(6), 2.25 x 10(6), and 1.55 x 10(6). Whereas the 3.40- and 2.65-megadalton (Mdal) RNA species comigrated with the nondefective and transformation-defective RNAs of B77 propagated on chicken embryo fibroblasts, no counterparts to the 2.25- and 1.55-Mdal RNAs were observed in the RNA of B77 grown on chicken embryo fibroblasts. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analysis of these RNA species revealed that the 2.65-Mdal RNA contains the src-specific deletion and that 2.25-Mdal RNA contains the polymerase region deletion; both of these deletions were observed in the 1.55-Mdal RNA, which was the major RNA subunit species detected in duck-passaged B77. The new oligonucleotides (D1 and D2) observed in the duck-passaged virus were present in the 2.25- and 1.55-Mdal RNA species in vitro and in vivo and directs the synthesis of a 130,000-dalton protein (p130). p130 contains antigenic determinants specific for p27 (gag gene) and gp85 (env gene) but does not contain sequences which cross-react with antisera directed against the alpha beta form of RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (pol gene). This RNA, therefore, is generated by a fusion of the gag and env genes of Rous sarcoma virus B77.