Tissue specificity of oncogene action: endothelial cell tumours in polyoma middle T transgenic mice.

Newborn mice inoculated with murine polyoma (Py) virus develop tumours in a wide range of tissues. To investigate viral oncogenesis we have generated transgenic mice carrying either the Py large T antigen (LT) gene or the Py middle T antigen (MT) gene linked to Py early regulatory sequences. Some Py LT mice develop pituitary tumours, while Py MT mice develop multifocal tumours of the vascular endothelium. These haemangiomas are lethal to the …