Premium
Continuous viral replication and cellular neoplastic transformation in cultures of normal rat thymus infected with gross leukemia virus
Author(s) -
Ioachim Harry L.,
Berwick Leonard
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910030109
Subject(s) - biology , virus , leukemia , in vitro , in vivo , virology , viral replication , viral transformation , tissue culture , murine leukemia virus , spleen , neoplasm , cell culture , neoplastic transformation , pathology , immunology , cancer , carcinogenesis , medicine , genetics
To develop a system for the study of Gross leukemia virus (GLV) replication in vitro , cultures of embryonal rat thymus were infected, grown for long intervals, and periodically examined for infectious virus. Supernatants assayed in susceptible animals induced leukemia in 93%, and electron micrographs of cultures confirmed the presence of abundant virus particles. Comparable cultures of spleen and kidney did not support viral replication. Morphologic differences were noted between the appearance of virus‐infected and control cultures. Isotransplantation of the former in conditioned rats resulted in formation of tumors at the site of injection. These tumors had the histologic pattern of reticulum‐cell sarcomas, were serially transplantable in non‐conditioned hosts, and continued to carry the initial GLV. The thymus, which is a target organ for GLV in vivo , appears to be similarly favorable for its replication in vitro. In addition, neoplastic transformation has occurred in these cultures, presumably induced by GLV.