Overexpression of avian or mouse c-jun in primary chick embryo fibroblasts confers a partially transformed phenotype.

The coding sequences of avian (quail) or murine c-jun proto-oncogenes were introduced into a non-defective retroviral vector derived from Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) in which c-jun replaces v-src. Primary avian fibroblasts chronically infected with either one of these viruses exhibit some phenotypic traits characteristic of RSV-transformed cells, including sustained growth in low serum medium and ability to develop colonies from single cells in agar, even though they are still of normal morphology and contact inhibited. This altered growth control correlates with enhanced AP1-specific DNA binding activity as well as with higher levels of c-Jun products.