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Demonstration of a DNA Provirus in the Lytic Growth of Visna Virus

Nature New Biology volume 245, pages 237–239 (1973)Cite this article

Abstract

SEVERAL lines of evidence link the RNA viruses responsible for slow diseases in Icelandic sheep with RNA tumour viruses. Visna virus, the prototype of the RNA slow virus group, resembles RNA tumour viruses in its morphology, in maturating by budding from the surfaces of infected cells1, and in having a high molecular weight RNA sedimenting at 60–70S2–4, and a virion-associated RNA-directed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase)5–7. However, the RNA slow viruses differ from tumour viruses, in that they do not cause tumours in the natural host or cell transformation in sheep tissue culture cells8. Visna virus in sheep produces an inflammatory demyelinating disease not associated with tumour formation; in tissue culture, infection of ovine cells leads to virus production, syncytium formation and lysis of cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. San Francisco Veterans Administration Hospital, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, California, 94121

    A. T. HAASE

  2. Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, 94143

    H. E. VARMUS

Authors
  1. A. T. HAASE
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  2. H. E. VARMUS
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HAASE, A., VARMUS, H. Demonstration of a DNA Provirus in the Lytic Growth of Visna Virus. Nature New Biology 245, 237–239 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio245237a0

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