Abstract
Several techniques for plaque assay of Herpesvirus hominis have been described, but none appears to offer a simple, sensitive assay which fulfills the requirements prescribed by Cooper (1). Primary cell cultures and sequential agar overlays were more successful than other cell cultures and single overlays (2, 3). However, the preparation of primary cell cultures and the use of multiple overlays are expensive and cumbersome steps for a plaque assay. The present paper describes an assay employing human embryonic fibroblasts with an agarose overlay medium which yields clear, easily discernible plaques, and fulfilled the criteria which Cooper (1) found essential for a useful plaque assay.
Materials and Methods. Cells. The HET (human embryonic tonsil) and WI-38 fibroblasts were obtained from Flow Laboratories, Inglewood, California. FT-1 and H716 are fibroblast strains derived in our laboratory from human fetal tonsil and parotid gland, respectively. M-HeLa, HeLa-229, McCoy, and L cells were received from Dr. G. E. Kenny (4). No strains of mycoplasmata were isolated from the cells, which were cultured routinely before use.
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