Globin expression in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed quail myoblasts.

Viral transformation affects certain developmental processes by blocking the differentiation of cells such as primitive muscle cells (myoblasts) or primitive red blood cells (erythroblasts). Embryonic quail myoblasts, transformed with a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) are blocked in differentiation at the viral permissive temperature of 35 degrees C, but fuse to form myotubes at the nonpermissive temperature of 41 degrees C. We have shown that viral transformation of quail myoblasts also causes transcription of non-muscle-specific genes, ie, globins at 35 degrees C that are not observed in uninfected myoblasts or myotubes. Transformed myoblasts shifted to 41 degrees C for 5 days still contain these globin transcripts. Both alpha-like and beta-like globins are expressed.