Abstract
Summary
Singh's Aedes albopictus mosquito cell line was infected with Sindbis and West Nile viruses in order to assess the ability of these invertebrate cells to produce interferon. The viruses grew well in the mosquito cells, producing titers of 106–108 PFU/ml throughout 10 days of incubation. Temperature affected virus growth; Sindbis virus grew approximately 10–fold more at 28° than at 36°. Culture fluids from 1 to 10 days of incubation at either temperature were assayed for interferon activity by the yield reduction assay method. Virus in fluids was inactivated by ultraviolet light or immune serum treatment in order to preserve any labile invertebrate interferon activity. No consistent reduction of yields of homologous or heterologous viruses were obtained at either incubation temperature of 28 or 36° at any of the times periods studied through 10 days after infection. Aedes alboptctus mosquito cells apparently produce no or very little interferon on infection with Sindbis or West Nile viruses.
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