Fate of viral RNA of murine leukemia virus after infection.

[3H]Uridine-labeled Rauscher leukemia virus was used to infect mouse embryo fibroblasts. After the infected cells were separated into nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions nucleic acid was extracted by sodium dodecyl sulfate-phenol-chloroform treatment and analyzed by Cs2SO4 and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Between 45 and 70 min after infection a transient and synchronized shift of the acid-insoluble radioactive peak toward the RNA-DNA hybrid region occurred in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions. The density of the cytoplasmic hybrid shifted to 1.56 g/ml (RNA equals about 50%), while the sedimentation rate decreased from 36 S to 14 S; however, the density of the nuclear hybrid shifted to 1.58-1.48 g/ml (RNA equals 57-17%, respectively), while its sedimentation rate remained about 65 S. The hybrids in both the nuclear and the cytoplasmic fractions still showed hybrid density after heat denaturation. The processes of the early stages of RNA tumor virus infection are discussed with regard to the functions of viral RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) and a possible integration of viral genetic information into the host chromosome.