cDNA clones of ski and the ski-related gene, sno, were obtained by screening human cDNA libraries. The predicted open reading frame of h-ski could encode a protein of 728 amino acid residues. The h-ski protein is highly homologous with the v-ski protein. The overall homology between h-ski and v-ski is 91% at the amino acid level. DNA sequencing analysis revealed two types of cDNA clones from the sno (ski-related novel gene) gene, possibly due to alternative splicing. The first type, named snoN (non Alu-containing), encoded a protein of 684 amino acid residues. The second type, named snoA (Alu-containing), encoded a protein of 415 amino acid residues. The first 366 amino acid residues of snoN and snoA are the same, but subsequent amino acids show divergence. Several transcripts of h-ski (6.0, 4.7, 3.8, 3.0, 2.1 and 1.8kb) were detected. The mRNAs of h-sno were 6.2, 4.4 and 3.2kb.

cDNA clones of the myb-related genes A-myb and B-myb were obtained by screening human cDNA libraries. The predicted open reading frame of B-myb could encode a protein of 700 amino acid residues. Although the C-terminal end has not been cloned yet, an almost entire coding region of A-myb, which is 745 amino acid long, was determined. The A-myb and B-myb proteins are highly homologous with the myb protein in three regions. Domain I, which is 161 amino acid long, is well conserved in the myb gene family. The homology between human-myb and A-myb in domain I is 90% at the amino acid level. Domain II, which is about 85 amino acid long, is less well conserved. Although it is a short stretch, domain III is found in the C-terminal region. The mRNAs of A-myb and B-myb were 5.0 and 2.6 kb, respectively. The mRNA expression pattern of the myb gene family in various tumors is presented.

The Y73 strain of avian sarcoma virus recently isolated in Japan is defective in replication and is associated with subgroup A leukosis virus (YAV). The virus caused sarcoma but not acute leukosis when inoculated into chickens. Studies on the viral RNA showed that a 26S RNA, estimated to be 4.8 kilobases long, was Y73 viral RNA carrying a transforming gene. The 26S RNA has sequences in common with the RNA of an avian leukosis virus but no homology with the src gene sequence of avian sarcoma virus (ASV). Thus, Y73 has a unique sarcomainducing gene. A phosphorylated polyprotein of 90,000 daltons (p90) was immunoprecipitated from extracts of Y73-transformed chicken embryo cells by a variety of antisera reacting with gag gene products. When a bacteria-bound immunocomplex containing the p90 protein was incubated with [y-32PJATP, the Y73-specific p90 and the IgG heavy chain were phosphorylated by a p90-associated protein kinase. The amino acid phosphoryIated in vitro was exclusively tyrosine in both cases, whereas p9O phosphorylated in vivo contained phosphoserine as a major phospho amino acid with traces of phosphotyrosine and phosphothreonine.

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