Association of tumor induction by ultraviolet light-inactivated adenovirus 2-simian virus 40 recombinants with a specific segment of simian virus 40 DNA.

The nondefective (ND) adenovirus 2 (Ad2)-simian virus 40 (SV40) hybrid Ad2+ND4, which contains the segment of the SV40 genome between map positions 0.11 and 0.59, induced tumors in Syrian golden hamsters after inactivation by UV light. Ad2 and the Ad2+ND2 hybrid, which contains the segment of the SV40 genome between map positions 0.11 and 0.43, were not oncogenic after inactivation by UV light. These results showed that the incorporation of a specific segment of SV40 DNA into the Ad2 genome can alter the pathogenesis of the Ad2+ND4 virus by rendering it oncogenic for hamsters.