Open AccessInfection of Rats with Bovine Leukaemia Virus: Establishment of a Virus-producing Rat Cell Line
Author(s) -
Veronika Altanerová,
Daniel Portetelle,
Richard Kettmann,
Č Altaner
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of general virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1465-2099
pISSN - 0022-1317
DOI - 10.1099/0022-1317-70-7-1929
Subject(s) - provirus , virology , biology , virus , spleen , cell culture , bovine leukemia virus , in vitro , inoculation , antibody , immunology , gene , genome , biochemistry , genetics
Adult rats were infected with bovine leukaemia virus (BLV). Inoculated rats persistently produced antibodies directed against viral structural proteins. No major pathogenesis in infected rats was found during 2 years of observation. It was possible to recover the virus from rat spleen several months after infection. A cell line, R(BLV), was established from rat spleen; this contained integrated BLV provirus. R(BLV) cells kept for over 80 passages in vitro produced viral particles with the properties of BLV. Provirus reintegration and/or amplification occurred in R(BLV) cells. The cell line was found to be tumorigenic in rats, and the virus produced was immunogenic. R(BLV) cells represent the first described BLV-producing rat cell line. Proven persistent infection with BLV indirectly suggests that rats can serve as a reservoir of BLV in nature.