Isolation and characterization of cell lines derived from hamster kidney cells transformed by BK virus, and transforming activity of their DNA.

Eight cell lines obtained from BK virus-transformed hamster kidney cells were characterized by some biological parameters as presence of BKV T antigen, growth properties and tumourigenicity. The transforming ability of their DNA on primary foetal rat fibroblasts was then studied, and transformed rat cells were characterized by the same biological parameters as above. Transformed hamster cells showed no correlation among presence of virus, growth properties and tumourigenicity; DNA from normal hamster kidney cells and from two BKV-transformed cell lines induced transformation on rat fibroblasts, but presence of BKV T antigen was detected only in one DNA-transformed rat cell line. The role of cellular and viral genes on neoplastic transformation is discussed.