Acholeplasma laidlawii cells acutely and chronically infected with group 1 acholeplasmavirus

Interactions between group 1 acholeplasmaviruses and their host cells were studied. Acutely infected, chronically infected and uninfected cultures of Acholeplasma laidlawii strain JA1 were compared by their growth in broth and on agar, by the sensitivities of the uninfected and chronically infected cells to representatives of each of the three groups of acholeplasmaviruses, and by their SDS-PAGE polypeptide profiles. Acutely infected cells resembled uninfected cells by these criteria, except for the fact that progeny virus was being released. Two types of chronically infected cells were found:rapid growers (the same doubling time as uninfected cells) and slow growers. The latter resembled uninfected cells, except for their slower growth and low-level release of virus, and the former was resistant to group 1 viruses and had a unique polypeptide profile. These biological characterizations help to establish the non-lytic, non-cytocidal cycle of the group 1 acholeplasmaviruses.