Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) is a retrovirus and is the first oncovirus to have been described: it causes sarcoma in chickens.
As with all retroviruses, it reverse transcribes its RNA genome into cDNA before integration into the host DNA.
RSV was discovered in 1911 by Peyton Rous, working at Rockefeller University in New York City, by injecting cell free extract of chicken tumour into healthy Plymouth Rock chickens. The extract was found to induce on...
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Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) is a retrovirus and is the first oncovirus to have been described: it causes sarcoma in chickens.
As with all retroviruses, it reverse transcribes its RNA genome into cDNA before integration into the host DNA.
RSV was discovered in 1911 by Peyton Rous, working at Rockefeller University in New York City, by injecting cell free extract of chicken tumour into healthy Plymouth Rock chickens. The extract was found to induce oncogenesis. The tumour was found to be composed of connective tissue (a sarcoma).
Rous was awarded the Nobel Prize for the significance of his discovery in 1966.
RSV is a class VI enveloped virus with a positive sense RNA genome having a DNA intermediate.
RSV has three genes:
(It lost the env gene normally seen in avian retroviruses during the recombination events that allowed it to acquire src)
The RSV genome has terminal repeats enabling its integration into the host genome and also overexpression of RSV genes.
The src gene is oncogenic as it...
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