Detection and cloning of human DNA sequences related to the mouse mammary tumor virus genome.

Abstract

Sequences related to the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) genome were detected in fragments of restricted human cellular DNA. These results were obtained by using recombinant DNA containing the MMTV proviral genome and lowering the stringency of blot-hybridization conditions. The MMTV genome also reacts with unique families of fragments in restricted cellular DNA from other mammalian species but not with salmon sperm DNA. A clone that reacted with labeled MMTV proviral DNA was selected from a human DNA library in Charon 4A. Under stringent conditions, a 3.7-kilobase MMTV-related EcoRI fragment of this clone hybridized with many of the same EcoRI restriction fragments of human cellular DNA detectable with MMTV proviral DNA under low-stringency conditions. Specific fragments of the human clone were shown to contain consequences related to the molecularly cloned gag, pol and env regions of the MMTV genome.