“…Polyomavirus (Py)-mediated transformation results principally from the action of one of the Py early gene products, middle T antigen (39). Middle T antigen is both necessary and sufficient to transform established (34,51) and, in some cases, embryonic cells (24,46) in culture and to induce tumors in hamsters (1), chickens (24), and transgenic mice (2,52). Middle T antigen is a phosphoprotein (17,40,41,44), is composed of 421 amino acids, and has a measured molecular weight of either 56,000 or 58,000, depending on its state of phosphorylation (41).…”