Abstract
Summary
Continuous cell lines derived from embryo bovine trachea (EBTr), pig kidney (PK(15)) and calf kidney (MDBK) were tested for their ability to support the multiplication of visna virus. Visna virus multiplied to a significant degree in EBTr and PK(15) cells and produced distinctive cytopathic changes in EBTr cells, but not in PK(15) cells. Serial passage was successful in EBTr cells, and virus from a late passage was immunologically similar to visna virus propagated in cell cultures prepared from sheep choroid plexus cells. Inoculation of EBTr monolayers with concentrated visna virus at high virus/cell multiplicities resulted in widespread polykaryocyte formation within 6 hr. EBTr cells may furnish a more convenient in vitro system for the study of visna virus than the cell culture systems now in use.
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