Abstract
The isolation and characterization of a viable mutant of simian virus 40 (SV40) called "in1449" are described. the mutant DNA is found to have a 157-nucleotide-long insertion at map position 0.649 within the 5' untranslated sequence of the early region of SV40. The complete nucleotide sequence of the insert is presented. Sequence comparisons show that the insert is not of SV40 origin. The insert is presumably of monkey origin since in1449 was produced within monkey kidney cells. The sequence of the in1449 insert matches remarkably well with sequences of a certain predominant family of interspersed repeated sequences in human DNA (called the Alu family) and cloned members thereof. This high degree of sequence homology suggests that the in1449 insert is derived from a member of a family of interspersed repeated sequences in monkey DNA related to the human Alu family. The in1449 insert (and the Alu family members) contain certain oligonucleotide sequences that also are found conserved in the replication origins of papovaviruses and certain other oligonucleotides found in repetitive double-stranded regions of mammalian heterogeneous nuclear RNAs. Sequences around the two recombinant joints in in1449 exhibit a definite pattern of homology. An octanucleotide present in the SV40 part of the first recombinant joint is exactly repeated 15 nucleotides away within the insert; another octanucleotide present within the insert at the second joint is exactly repeated 21 nucleotides away in the viral DNA. The viral DNA sequences flanking the insert in in1449 also exhibit some homology.