# BIOCHEMISTRY OF RNA TUMOR VIRUS REPLICATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 1988 · $130,691

## Abstract

The connection between anemia, immunosuppression, and proliferative
disorders caused by avian leukosis viruses will be investigated.  An
aplastic anemia induced by an avian osteopetrosis virus, MAV-2(0), will be
characterized by examining the colonies that grow in a
methylcellulose-based semi-solid medium.  The nature of a normal cell which
restores mitogen responsiveness to MAV-2(0)-infected cell populations will
be determined.  The identity of a large cell which appears in the spleen of
MAV-2(0)-infected chicks developing anemia will be established.  The
ability of RAV-7 to cause proliferation of lymphoid cells in vitro will be
investigated.  These studies will clarify the role of avian leukosis
viruses in host defense mechanisms.

The MAV-2(0) genome will be cloned and used to prepare recombinants between
it and RAV-1.  Molecular constructs will be injected into chick embryos and
the pattern of disease induction established.  These studies will identify
regions of the MAV-2(0) genome responsible for causing osteopetrosis and
other diseases associated with MAV-2(0) infection.  The amount and nature
of unintegrated viral MAV-2(0) DNA will be determined and correlated with
the type of organ-specific changes observed (such as proliferation in the
bone, depletion of the bone marrow, hypoplasia in the bursa and thymus).
These studies will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of how
avian leukosis viruses cause polyclonal, hyperplastic, and debilitating
diseases.

Macroscopic and microscopic fibrosarcomas induced by a recombinant avian
leukosis virus will be characterized.  These tumors appear at high
frequency in the muscles of chickens infected with a recombinant virus
prepared in the laboratory.  The tissue specificity and the nature of the
tumor cell appearing in the infected animal will be investigated.  The
possibility that a new transforming virus is present will be explored by
cultivating affected muscle tissue in vitro, observing cultured cells for
the appearance of transformed foci, testing for the presence of reverse
transcriptase in the supernatant fluid, and determining whether a
focus-forming virus is present in supernatant fluids.  These studies offer
the potential to demonstrate novel interactions of avian leukosis viruses
with host onc genes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3173506
- **Project number:** 5R01CA035984-06
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** LT9CXX8L19G1
- **Principal Investigator:** RALPH E SMITH
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $130,691
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-02-01 → 1991-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3173506

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3173506, BIOCHEMISTRY OF RNA TUMOR VIRUS REPLICATION (5R01CA035984-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3173506. Licensed CC0.

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