Abstract
Summary
The long-term in vitro cultivation of Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV) in rat embryo (RE) cells is reported. RE cells infected initially with RLV have replicated infectious virus and produced complement-fixing (CF) antigen characteristic of the murine leukemia-sarcoma virus complex for more than 12 months. Production of complete virus has been demonstrated by means of electron microscopy; and of infectious virus by the in vitro assay technic (COMuL test) based on detection of the group-specific CF antigen of murine leukemia viruses. Interferon production was not demonstrated in infected cultures. The data indicate that RE cells could be used for cultivation of RLV in a carrier state.
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