Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Endogenous viral genes are non-essential in the chicken

Nature volume 282, pages 339–341 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

DNA sequences homologous to the genomes of type C retroviruses are widespread among vertebrates1. Ten genetic loci containing endogenous viral DNA sequences have been documented in the white Leghorn chicken alone2,3. Six of these genetic loci are associated with the production of virus or of viral proteins in embryonic fibroblasts (refs 2–4, and S.M.A., L. B. Crittenden and E.G.B., in preparation) and one of the loci may be expressed in the erythroblasts of 5-day-old embryos5. The ubiquitous presence of endogenous viral genes among vertebrate species and the association of their expression with development of the haematopoietic system in the mouse6 have led to the proposal that these genes are involved in ontogeny. In addition, the genes may be implicated in oncogenesis as in the case of the AKR mouse in which a high incidence of spontaneous leukaemia is associated with the expression of endogenous murine leukaemia virus genomes7,8. We report here the production of a fertile rooster which lacks avian leukosis virus-related endogenous viral genes and which seems to be completely normal and healthy. Thus, endogenous viral genes are apparently not essential for the normal development of the chicken. An endogenous virus-free state has also been reported for three species of jungle fowl9 and for the B-type viral genes of the mouse10.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Todaro, G. J. Cold Spring Harb. Conf. Cell Proliferation 4, 1169–1196 (1977).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Astrin, S. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 5941–5945 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Astrin, S. M. et al. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 44 (in the press).

  4. Astrin, S. M. & Robinson, H. L. J. Virol. 31, 420–425 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Groudine, M., Das, S., Neiman, P. & Weintraub, H. Cell 14, 865–878 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Steeves, R. & Lilly, F. A. Rev. Genet. 11, 277–296 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rowe, W. P. J. exp. Med. 136, 1272–1285 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Rowe, W. P. & Hartley, J. W. J. exp. Med. 136, 1286–1301 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Frisby, D. P., Weiss, R. A., Roussel, M. & Stehelin, D. Cell 17, 623–634 (1979).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cohen, C. & Varmus, H. Nature 278, 418–423 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Southern, E. M. J. molec. Biol. 98, 502–517 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Roberts, R. J. CRC crit. Rev. Biochem. 4, 123–164 (1976).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Padgett, T. G., Stubblefield, E. & Varmus, H. E. Cell 10, 649–657 (1977).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Temin, H. N. A. Rev. Genet. 8, 155–177 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Todaro, G. J., Benveniste, R. E., Callahan, R., Leiber, M. M. & Sheer, C. J. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 39, 1159–1168 (1975).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Hughes, S. H. et al. Cell 15, 1397–1410 (1978).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Sabran, J. L. et al. J. Virol. 29, 170–178 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Hayward, W. S., Braverman, S. & Astrin, S. M. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 44, (in the press).

  19. Hayward, W. S. J. Virol. 24, 47–63 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Haseltine, W. A., Kleid, D. G., Panet, A., Rothenberg, E. & Baltimore, D. J. molec. Biol. 106, 109–131 (1976).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hayward, W. S. & Hanafusa, H. J. Virol. 15, 1367–1377 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Britten, R. J. & Kohne, D. E. Science 161, 529–540 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 7701 Burholme Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111

    Susan M. Astrin

  2. Department of Poultry Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802

    Edward G. Buss

  3. The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10021

    William S. Hayward

Authors
  1. Susan M. Astrin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Edward G. Buss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. William S. Hayward
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Astrin, S., Buss, E. & Hayward, W. Endogenous viral genes are non-essential in the chicken. Nature 282, 339–341 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282339a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/282339a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing