Gazaryan K G, Nabirochkin S D, Tatosyan A G, Shakhbazyan A K, Shibanova E N
Nature. 1984;311(5984):392-4. doi: 10.1038/311392a0.
Retroviral proviruses and the transposable elements of eukaryotic genomes are structurally similar. The biological significance of eukaryotic transposable elements has not been examined extensively but it is known that, like prokaryotic transposons, these elements can induce mutations in adjacent genes and cause their transposition. It is of interest to determine whether retroviral proviruses have the same mutagenic and gene transposing ability as transposable elements, particularly because the retrovirus genome is assumed to have originated from transposable elements of lower eukaryotes. The transfer of DNA sequences into animal zygotes or embryos by microinjection is a promising experimental approach for eluxidating their functions: when foreign DNAs were introduced into a mouse germ line, mutations were induced and at least in some mice, the mutation was caused by the insertion of a retroviral sequence. We have introduced Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) DNA into a germ line of Drosophila melanogaster, and describe here the resultant genetic effects.
逆转录病毒前病毒与真核生物基因组中的转座元件在结构上相似。真核生物转座元件的生物学意义尚未得到广泛研究，但已知与原核生物转座子一样，这些元件可诱导相邻基因发生突变并导致其转座。确定逆转录病毒前病毒是否具有与转座元件相同的诱变和基因转座能力很有意义，特别是因为逆转录病毒基因组被认为起源于低等真核生物的转座元件。通过显微注射将DNA序列导入动物受精卵或胚胎是阐明其功能的一种很有前景的实验方法：当将外源DNA引入小鼠种系时，会诱导突变，并且至少在一些小鼠中，突变是由逆转录病毒序列的插入引起的。我们已将劳斯肉瘤病毒（RSV）DNA导入黑腹果蝇的种系，并在此描述由此产生的遗传效应。
