Avian myeloblastosis virus and E26 virus oncogene products are nuclear proteins.

The defective acute leukemia viruses avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) and E26 virus each contain an inserted cellular sequence related to the same highly conserved cellular gene, proto-amv. The oncogenes of these two retroviruses differ from this cellular proto-oncogene in gene structure, transcript structure, and gene product. The product of the AMV oncogene (myb) is a 48,000 Mr protein, p48myb, encoded by a transduced segment (amv) of proto-amv flanked by short helper-virus-derived terminal sequences. The E26 virus oncogene product is a 135,000 Mr protein, p135gag-amve-ets, encoded by significant portions of a viral structural gene (gag), sequences related to proto-amv (amve), and additional E26-specific sequences (ets) transduced from cellular proto-ets. Both p48myb and p135gag-amve-ets transforming proteins are located in the nucleus of cells transformed by these viruses. A protein of 110,000 Mr which is specifically immunoprecipitated by antisera to amv peptides and may be the product of the normal cellular gene (proto-amv) has been located in the cytoplasm of cells that express proto-amv mRNA.