Growth Potential of Sheep and Sea Mammal Cells Transformed by SV40 Early Region DNA

Abstract

Abstract

Normal fibroblasts of bearded seal, northern fur seal, sea lion, domestic sheep, and normal kidney cells of spotted dolphin and Pacific common dolphin have been transformed by fragments of SV40 DNA containing the entire early region. The transformed, T-antigen-positive cell strains grew to higher saturation densities and, except for the transformed dolphin kidney cell strains, were able, albeit poorly, to form colonies in soft agar medium. The transformed northern fur seal, spotted dolphin and Pacific common dolphin cell strains have remained diploid, the transformed sheep cells have become hypodiploid due to Robertsonian translocations, and the transformed bearded seal and sea lion cells had become hypotetraploid. Although all the transformed cells have acquired increased divisional potential and prolonged lifespan in cell culture, only the hypotetraploid cell strains of bearded seal and sea lion have evolved into continuous cell strains.