Retroviral transforming genes in normal cells?
Retroviral transforming genes in normal cells?
复制标题
正常细胞中的逆转录病毒转化基因?
作者:
Duesberg,PH
The hallmark of retroviral transforming genes (oncgenes) are specific sequences which are unrelated to essential virion genes but are closely related to sequences in normal cells. Viraloncgenes probably originated from rare transductions of these cellular sequences by retroviruses withoutoncgenes. Consequently, it has been suggested that retroviral transforming genes are present in normal cells in a latent form. However, recent structural analyses indicate that viraloncgenes and cellular genes, which share specific sequences, are not isogenic. They differ from each other in scattered point mutations and in unique coding regions. The cellular genes containingonc-related sequences are expressed in normal cells compatible with a normal function. There is as yet no functional or consistent circumstantial evidence that these cellular genes cause cancer in animals that are not infected by viruses withoncgenes. Therefore, it is still uncertain whether theonc-related cellular genes have oncogenic potential beyond their role as progenitors of retroviraloncgenes.