Transient infectivity and heterokaryon formation in hamster cell cultures inoculated with cell-associated stocks of Marek's disease virus and herpesvirus of turkeys
Witter, R.L.; Sharma, J.M.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute 53(6): 1731-1742
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0027-8874 PMID: 4612166 Document Number: 74388
Virus infectivity persisted for up to 10 serial passages in primary hamster kidney (HK) cultures inoculated with cell-associated Marek's disease virus (MDV) or herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT). However, the direct correlation of infectivity with the persistence of at least 105 inoculum cells per culture, the ablation of infectivity by treatment with cytotoxic anti-avian cell antibody, and the failure to infect HK cultures with high doses of cell-free MDV or HVT strongly indicated that infection was solely associated with inoculum-derived avian cells. Heterokaryons containing avian and hamster nuclei as well as viral antigens were observed in HK cultures inoculated with virus-infected avian cells, but the function of these heterokaryons in viral replication was uncertain. It was concluded that HK cells did not support persistent infection with, and were probably refractory to, the strains of MDV and HVT used.