Structural analysis of proviruses in additional hamster tumour cell lines transformed by provirus II rescued from XC cells and definition of a new cell line harbouring amplified proviruses.

Additional 18 Syrian hamster tumour cell lines induced independently with the virus rescued from XC cells (provirus type II) have been analysed by restriction mapping. Taking into account the already published results of an analysis of other six tumour cell lines, altogether 24 tumour cell lines were characterized. In 62.5% of these lines a complete proviral unit has been integrated; 20.8% of the lines harbour altered proviral structures where the 3' end of the gag gene and the entire pol gene had been deleted; 8.3% of the lines carry both such a deleted provirus and a complete provirus. Apart from the already published cryptic provirus found in H-19 cells, no such provirus has been found in another cell line. Therefore the appearance of the cryptic provirus represents an infrequent event (4.16%). Similarly, the significant amplification of proviruses accompanied with a rearrangement in the env gene was found only in one tumour cell line. H-42, in the genome of which five proviral units are accommodated. The probable arrangement of amplified proviruses and the mechanism of their genesis are discussed.