Deletions covering the putative promoter region of early mRNAs of simian virus 40 do not abolish T-antigen expression.

Abstract

A recombinant plasmid was constructed by insertion of the early genes of SV40 into [plasmid vector] pBR322. When it was introduced into eukaryotic [African green monkey kidney CV1] cells, the SV40 early genes were expressed. Deletion mutants of this plasmid were made, from which the major cap sites of SV40 early mRNA were removed along with some of the sequences upstream. The deleted sequences appear to be dispensable for early gene expression, but this does not necessarily imply that they serve no function in the initiation of transcription on wild-type SV40. [Escherichia coli was used.].