Tumorigenicity of cells transformed by adenovirus type 12 by evasion of T-cell immunity.

Evidence is presented that cells transformed by adenovirus type 12 are oncogenic because they escape from T-cell immunity. This effect is brought about by reducing the expression of class I transplantation antigens and is a function of the protein translated from the 13S mRNA, transcribed from early region 1a. These findings establish a novel mechanism by which transformed cells can acquire an oncogenic phenotype.