JC virus-induced owl monkey glioblastoma cells in culture: biological properties associated with the viral early gene product.

JCV induces glioblastomas in owl monkeys 18-24 months or longer following intracranial inoculation (W. London, S. Houff, D. Madden, D. Fuccillo, M. Gravell, W. Wallen, A. Palmer, J. Sever, B. Padgett, D. Walker, G. Zu Rhein, and T. Ohashi, 1978, Science 201, 1246-1248). Cells from one brain tumor, owl monkey 26, were successfully established in culture and analyzed for phenotypic characteristics generally associated with persistence and expression of the papovavirus early region of its genome. Owl monkey 26 cells demonstrated nuclear JCV T protein detected by either SV40 hamster tumor sera or PAb 108, a monoclonal antibody to SV40 T protein. However, the JCV T protein was not detected in a complex with the host cell p53 protein as judged by immunoprecipitation using PAb 122, a monoclonal antibody directed to the mammalian p53 cellular protein. These cells also demonstrated increased plasminogen activator secretion and actin cable disorganization properties not before reported for JCV-induced tumor or transformed cells. Of the primate papovaviruses, JCV is unique in its ability to induce brain tumors in these primates. JCV early gene expression can be shown to persist in brain tumor cells once established in culture and correlates with cell phenotypes typical of papovavirus malignant transformation even though the time between virus inoculation and tumor development is usually several years.