Index >> Animal Viruses >>Rous Sarcoma Virus - RSV

Rous Sarcoma Virus - RSV - In 1911 Peyton Rous, working 00 the barred Plymouth hen, discovered that tumours could be transferred through a cell free filtrate an indication that a virus was involved. This View was not accepted until nearly 30 years later, when Gross demonstrated that leukemia in mice was caused by RNA viruses. Since then it has been shown that RNA tumour viruses cause tumours in rats, hamsters, monkeys and many other animals.

The Rous Sarcoma Virus contains RNA as the genetic material, but there is evidence that it replicates through a DNA intermediate. This has 'been shown by the use of the antibiotic actinomycin D on viral cultures. Actinomycin D inhibits synthesis of RNA on a DNA template, but not synthesis of RNA on an RNA template.