Glucose utilization, pH reduction and density dependent inhibition in cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts.

The multiplication rate of sparse cultures of chick embryo cells is only slightly lower at pH 6.9 than at pH 7.4. There is, however, a marked reduction in the multiplication rate of the pH 6.9 cultures before they reach confluency. Cultures at pH 7.4 continue to multiply beyond confluency with only a slight decrease in the multiplication rate. Eighty to ninety percent of the glucose taken up by the cells growing at each pH is converted to lactic acid which is released into the medium. Metabolic reduction in pH of the medium is almost entirely accounted for by the amount of lactic acid produced by the cells. Neither the intracellular nor extracellular accumulation of lactic acid nor the accompanying reduction in pH is sufficient to explain density dependent inhibition of the rate of multiplication of chick cells. The rate of lactic acid production and the multiplication rate of chick cells are independent of glucose concentration in the range of 2--16 mM. In view of the kinetic parameters for the uptake of glucose, this shows that glycolysis is not limited by the rate of glucose uptake and that depletion of glucose from the medium cannot account for the onset of density dependent inhibition of multiplication. However, when cells reach very high population densities, conventional glucose concentrations of 5 mM can be depleted overnight by chick cells. Since the multiplication rate of cells is dependent on glucose concentration when it falls below 2 mM, depletion of glucose may cause some growth inhibition in crowded cultures supplied with conventional medium.     

Chromomycin A3 inhibits influenza a virus multiplication in chick embryo fibroblast cells

The multiplication of Ulster 73 virus, an avian strain of type A influenza virus, was blocked in chick embryo fibroblast cells, CEF, by treatment with 0.5 microg/ml of chromomycin A3 whereas in LLC-MK2 cells no inhibition of replication was observed. Virus-induced polypeptide synthesis in chick embryo fibroblast cells was confined to the synthesis of PB2, PB1 and PA subunits of the RNA dependent-RNA polymerase, the nucleoprotein NP, the non-structural protein NS1, the haemagglutinin HA, the non-structural protein NS2; only the membrane M1 polypeptide synthesis was greatly inhibited. Viral unpolyadenylated cRNAs synthesis was studied at a late time of the infection, 8 hours p.i.: chromomycin A3 was able to inhibit the "novo" synthesis of complementary RNA poly(A)- and segment 7 of virion RNA. The mode of action of the drug in chick embryo fibroblast cells is discussed.     

pH, serum and Zn++ in the regulation of DNA synthesis in cultures of chick embryo cells

Variations in pH, serum concentration and the availability of Zn⁺⁺ in the medium markedly influence the initiation of DNA synthesis in cultured chick embryo cells. This report considers the interplay of these factors with one another and with other factors such as type of medium, cell population density and the malignaut transformation in an attempt to better define the variables of the growth control system. Conditioned medium seems to protect the cells against the inhibitory effects of lowered pH. Increased serum concentration has a similar, but more striking effect. Increased serum concentration and pH, as well as decreased population density, which stimulate DNA synthesis, also lower the sensitivity of DNA synthesis to inhibition by Zn⁺⁺ deprivation. Likewise, cell transformation by infection with Rous sarcoma virus lowers the sensitivity of DNA synthesis to inhibition by Zn⁺⁺ deprivation and by pH reduction. The response of DNA synthesis to pH varies with the type and concentration of buffer used. It is concluded that there are a number of mutually interacting variables involved in the regulation of animal cell multiplication.     

Western equine encephalomyelitis vaccine produced in chick embryo cell cultures

A method was developed for production of a freeze-dried Western equine encephalomyelitis vaccine from virus propagated in chick embryo cell culture monolayers maintained with a serum-free medium. A sufficient concentration of virus accumulated in the cell culture fluids prior to the occurrence of viral cytopathology to permit the production of a vaccine relatively free from serum and cellular proteins. Inoculation with two mouse ld₅₀ doses of virus per 100 tissue culture cells was found to yield reproducible high virus titers at a convenient harvest time. These harvests were inactivated at 22 C by 0.05% formalin within 48 hr. Potency test results, as measured by the protection of immunized guinea pigs against an intracerebral virus challenge, indicated that the vaccine produced from the virus propagated in cell culture was equal in potency to a lot of whole chick embryo vaccine used to immunize laboratory and field workers subject to a high risk of infection.     

Inhibition of lactic streptococcus bacteriophage by crystal violet and other agents

Ninety-nine selected compounds and eleven antibiotic-producing organisms were tested for antiphage activity and host toxicity. A paper disc-agar diffusion method was used for primary screening and quantitative methods were employed for confirmatory investigation. Most of the agents tested, although previously reported as inhibitory to one or more other virus-host systems, did not selectively prevent multiplication of lactic streptococcus bacteriophage. Several compounds which prevented mass lysis were extremely toxic to host bacteria. Crystal violet suppressed growth of two phage strains at a level (1.0 x 10(-7)M) which permitted normal growth of the host cells. Failure of crystal violet to prevent multiplication of many phage strains suggested possible variations in the multiplication mechanisms of different strains of virus. Virustatic levels of crystal violet did not destroy unadsorbed virus, reduce adsorption, or prevent invasion; increase of virus was reduced in one-step growth experiments; mass lysis was prevented or delayed in long time experiments. Addition and removal of crystal violet at various intervals during the latent period resulted in virus yields directly related to the portion of the latent period during which no dye was present. Duration of the latent period was unaffected. Single burst experiments indicated that the yield of plaque-forming particles per infected bacterium was reduced; the proportion of infected bacteria giving rise to active progeny did not appear to be influenced to a significant degree. Crystal violet apparently interferes with intracellular multiplication of the virus, possibly by combination of the dye with phage DNA or fractions thereof at some critical stage in the incorporation of DNA into the virus particle.     

Quantitative aspects of inhibition of virus replication by interferon in chick embryo cell cultures

Hallum, J. V. (University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.), and J. S. Youngner. Quantitative aspects of inhibition of virus replication by interferon in chick embryo cell cultures. J. Bacteriol. 92:1047-1050. 1966.-The effect of interferon on single cycles of replication of vesicular stomatitis virus and Mahoney poliovirus ribonucleic acid was studied in chick embryo cell cultures. The results showed that the titer of a given interferon preparation was independent of the input multiplicity of the challenge virus. In addition, the increase in virus yield with increasing virus challenge was a function of the number of infected cells, each of which yielded progeny at a level determined by the concentration of interferon to which the cells were exposed. These findings are not compatible with the concept that increases in the size of the virus challenge reverse or overcome protection of cells by interferon.     

Ribonucleic Acid and protein synthesis in chick embryo cells infected with fowl plague virus

Fowl plague virus comprised four major protein components and several minor ones, two strains of the virus giving similar results. One of the components was identified as the nucleocapsid protein. Synthesis of the virion proteins could readily be detected in infected cells 3 hr after infection. The two subcellular fractions associated with viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase activity (nuclei and ribosomal pellet) were associated with the protein of the nucleocapsid and a second virion protein of unidentified function. Measurement of viral RNA and protein synthesis in cells infected with preparations of ultraviolet irradiated virus showed that the capacity to synthesise the RNA and protein species of highest molecular weight was lost most quickly, suggesting that the pieces of viral RNA function independently.     

Relationship between reaggregability of monolayer cultured chick embryonic liver cells and their surface properties

When liver cells dissociated from 10-day-old chick embryos were cultured as monolayers, the reaggregability of the harvested cells declines steeply with time of cultivation. Immunological and virological techniques were used to detect cell surface changes during monolayer cultivation. An early rapid increase in Forssman (F) antigen was demonstrated by the complement fixation test and the fluorescent antibody technique. An increase parallel to that of F antigen was also found, using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, in the receptor activities of these cultured cells for Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus and influenza virus. The reaggregability recovered with receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE) from Vibrio chorelae. Therefore, we concluded that a cell surface change or aberration, recognized as an increase in the biologically identifiable determinant sites such as F antigen and virus receptors, was responsible for the loss of reaggregability. In contrast, we confirmed that the intracellular machinery required for JE virus multiplication never changed during protracted monolayer cultivation.     

Enhanced growth and plaquing of rabies virus in static chick embryo cell culture.

The 7-day egg passage line of HEP Flury strain of rabies virus was inoculated to primary chick embyro (CE) cells prepared in different ways to compared efficiencies of viral growth and plaquing. Special care to minimize cellular damage due to trypsin at the step of monodispersion and sowing a comparatively large number of cells for monolayer preparation were required for rabies plaquing, whereas such cares were not necessary for plaquing of vesicular stomatitis virus. Plaque number and size were increased by incorporation of a high concentration of thymidine into cell growth medium. Various other means to produce a static state of CE cells were tested, and a maximal plaquing efficiency was obtained when dishes receiving a massive number of dispersed cells in MEM plus 1% calf serum were incubated at 37 C for 1 day without any buffering for monolayer preparation and postinfection incubation was done at 32 C in a CO2-incubator. Bottle cultures of CE cells prepared in a similar manner, when infected with HEP Flury virus, yielded a markedly higher titer of virus that CE cells prepared by our previous standard method.     

Induction of chick embryo feather malformations by an influenza C virus

The effect of influenza C virus, strain JJ/50, on the development of chicken embryos infected at 10 or 12 days was documented by microscopic techniques, as well as by gross observations of embryos or chicks at hatching. The infected, newly hatched chicks displayed marked abnormalities in their feathering. Such abnormalities were observed neither in mock-infected embryos nor in embryos injected with virus which had been previously treated with specific influenza C virus antibody. At a microscopic level, the abnormalities apparently are a result of hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia of the developing barb and barbule cells. Further, the additional development of integumental necrotic foci was correlated with the development of relatively high viral titers (greater than 256) as measured by hemagglutination (HA). Embryos infected after 12 instead of 10 days incubation showed normal feathering at hatching. Infection at 12 days, however, was correlated with the development of relatively low viral titers (HA = 4) and limited degeneration of the respiratory epithelium. The relationship of teratogenic effects to the site of viral replication in rapidly differentiating tissue is discussed.     

Histones from chick embryo, chick and chicken liver nuclei

Histones were prepared and purified from chick embryo, chick and chicken liver nuclei. The comparative analysis of these histone preparations, fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicates that histone fractions of chick embryo, chick and chicken livers are respectively identical and they comigrate with calf thymus histones.     

Production of Sindbis,influenza, and vesicular stomatitis viruses in chicken embryo and rat embryo cell suspensions

Studies were carried out on the production of Sindbis, influenza and vesicular stomatitis viruses in suspensions of chicken embryo and rat embryo cells. The yield of Sindbis virus in chicken embryo cell suspensions was independent of the multiplicity of infection over the range 0.0001 to 0.01 although reduction in multiplicity caused a delay in virus production. With influenza virus the use of higher multiplicities gave increased virus yields possibly due to the very slow production at low multiplicities. In both monolayer and suspension cultures of chicken embryo cells addition of serum or use of media richer than minimum essential medium (Eagle) had little effect on Sindbis virus production, but if the glucose were omitted the virus yield was markedly reduced. In cell suspensions, a marked reduction in virus yield occurred if infection were delayed more than 24 hr after cell preparation whereas in monolayers the delay of infection allowed cell propagation and hence a higher yield of virus. It was also shown that vesicular stomatitis virus can be produced in chicken embryo cell suspensions, and that rat embryo primary cell suspensions can be used to prepare both Sindbis and vesicular stomatitis viruses. Sindbis virus obtained from chicken embryo cell suspensions was purified by polyethylene glycol precipitation and sucrose density gradient centrifugation and shown to contain only those proteins previously identified as viral, without any contamination from chicken cell proteins. The relative ease and economics of virus production by cell suspension and monolayer methods is compared.     

腮腺炎病毒的多肽及其在感染细胞中的合成

以差异离心和蔗糖密度梯度离心祛提纯了在鸡胚尿囊腔中繁殖的腮腺炎病毒粒子。并用SDS—PAGE分析病毒粒子的结构多肽,发现其结构多肽为11种,分子量在35K到72K之间。同时还检测到HN蛋白的多聚体和F蛋白的大亚基F1。将腮腺炎病毒分别感染Hela,Vero和CE细胞,比较这三种细胞对ME株腮腺炎病毒的敏感性,发现CE细胞是ME株的敏感宿主。用[31S]蛋氨酸标记病毒感染的CE细胞,以SDS-PAGE及放射自显影法检测到腮腺炎病毒在宿主细胞中合成了至少8种多肽,分子量在26．5K到94K之间。对这些多肽在细胞中不同时期合成情况进行了研究。还用脉冲追踪(pulsechase)技术在感染细胞中发现了FO到F这一转译后加工(Postttanslational procession)现象。此外也研究了放线菌素D和高沈度氯化钠对细胞蛋白质合成的抑制作用。     

Proteins specified by Sindbis virus in chick embryo fibroblast cells

Large amounts of high molecular weight polypeptides were detected in “aged” chick embryo fibroblast cells infected with Sindbis virus. These polypeptides were shown to be virus specific by several criteria. At least some of the above polypeptides were shown to be precursors to smaller viral structural proteins by a pulse-chase experiment.     

Effect of prostaglandins on cell function and multiplication of parainfluenza 3 viruses in WISH cells.

Cytotoxic effect of prostaglandins E2 and F2alpha on cells grown in vitro and the influence of these compounds on multiplication of myxovirus parainfluenza 3 were investigated. The prostaglandins were added to culture medium (0-01-10 mug/ml) 24 hr before virus infection, or for 2 and 48 hr after inoculation with viruses. WISH cells and monkey kidney cell cultures were used. No direct cytotoxic effect of prostaglandins at concentrations 0-01-1 mug/ml was found (viability, supravital staining, phase-contrast system, Nitro-BT reduction and succinic dehydrogenase tests), whereas the concentration of 10 mug/ml within 48 hr led to reduction and succinic dehydrogenase tests), whereas the concentration of 10 mug/ml within 48 hr led to partial injury of the cell population with symptoms of damage to mitochondria. Prostaglandins E2 and F2alpha inhibited multiplication of parainfluenza 3 virus at concentrations 0-1-10 mug/ml. The inhibitory effect was most pronounced if prostaglandins were added to medium for the whole period of virus multiplication i.e. for 48 hr but little or no effect was found if they were added prior to inoculation or for 2 hr after it. Inhibitory effect of prostaglandins on replication phase of viruses is suggested.     

Separation and characterization of chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase and chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase from chick embryo cartilage

Two distinct sulfotransferases (chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase and chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase), which catalyzed transfer of sulfate to position 6 and position 4 of acetylgalactosamine residues of chondroitin, were extracted from epiphyseal cartilage of 14-day-old chick embryos and separated by gel chromatography on Sephacryl S-200 in the presence of 3 M guanidine-HCl. When the enzyme solutions containing 3 M guanidine-HCl were dialyzed against 0.02 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.2, containing 10% glycerol, chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase became almost insoluble, whereas chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase remained soluble. Endogenous acceptors for sulfate transfer were completely removed from both enzyme preparations. Addition of basic proteins and polyamines as well as Mn²⁺ to the incubation medium caused a stimulation of both sulfotransferases; the stimulation of chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase with these cations was higher than that of chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase. The K_m values for 3′-phosphoadenylyl sulfate of both enzymes were much smaller in the presence of protamine or spermine than in the presence of Mn²⁺. The two sulfotransferases differed in the requirement for sulfhydryl compounds; in the absence of sulfhydryl compounds, the activity of chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase was very low, whereas the activity of chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase was essentially unaffected. These observations indicate that at least two sulfotransferases are involved in the biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate, and suggest that the production of the isomers of chondroitin sulfate in chondrocytes is affected by various factors such as the intracellular concentration of sulfhydryl compounds and basic substances.     

Tamoxifen and sex differentiation of the gonads in chick embryo

Tamoxifen or 4-hydroxytamoxifen were injected either alone or in combination with oestradiol into 4-5 day-old chick embryos in order to study their action on the sex differentiation of the gonads. The results of the histological study of the gonads performed at the stage of 16-19 days warrant the following conclusions: None of both anti-oestrogens exerts an effect on the testes. None of both compounds modifies the sex differentiation of the female gonads. Tamoxifen exerts an antagonistic action on the feminization of the testes by oestradiol. These conclusions do not lend support to the hypothesis according to which oestrogens play a role in normal sex differentiation of the female gonads.     

Creatine regulation in the embryo and growing chick

1. The absence of creatine was demonstrated enzymically in the hen's-egg yolk and in the albumin contrary to former reports. 2. A comparison of the results obtained by enzymic and colorimetric methods to measure creatine is presented. 3. Creatine phosphate was not detected in the yolk extracts. 4. The content of free arginine enzymically assayed was 15.7mumol in the yolk and 3.38mumol in the albumin. Arginine amounts to practically all of the guanidine compounds in the yolk and one-half of those in the albumin. 5. No glycine amidinotransferase activity was found in the egg-yolk homogenates. 6. The heart of the chick embryo does not receive creatine from the egg and the creatine kinase activity present in this organ starting from the 27th hour of incubation suggests that the enzyme is a constitutive one working probably as an adenosine triphosphatase in a way similar to the kinase isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. 7. Liver glycine amidinotransferase activity appeared clearly after day 5 of incubation. The specific activity reached a maximum at day 12 and then declined; however, the activity per total mass of liver increased steadily during all the prenatal period. Concomitantly with this steady increase a rise in the creatine content of the whole embryo was observed. An analogous increasing relationship between total liver amidinotransferase activity and liver creatine content was also detected during the postnatal period. 8. Repression of amidinotransferase by creatine cannot be accepted as occurring under physiological conditions since an inverse relationship between the two parameters was not observed. 9. Repression of liver amidinotransferase is observed only when pharmacological concentrations of the exogenous creatine are present in the chick liver.     

Methylcarbamate effects on Meckel's cartilages in the chick embryo

On the basis of previous observations on the teratogenic effects of a variety of organophosphorus and methylcarbamate compounds on the avian skeletal apparatus, the Meckel's cartilage shape and structure were analyzed in carbaryl (1-naphthyl N-methylcarbamate) treated and control chick embryos of 9, 10, 12 days of incubation. The results indicate that both during normal development and under experimental conditions these cartilages undergo similar deformities, apparently subsequent to chondroblast death and regressive processes in the extracellular matrix. Since the macro- and microscopical cartilage alterations are significantly more frequent in the treated embryos than in the controls, a hypothesis is advanced that the methylcarbamate may increase the spontaneous tendency of the above mentioned cartilaginous anlagen to be affected by degenerative processes during embryogenesis.     

Reduced levels of adenosine deaminase in chick embryo fibroblasts transformed by Rous sarcoma virus.

Adenosine deaminase activities in chick embryo fibroblasts were substantially reduced after infection and transformation by Rous sarcoma virus. Concomitant with the reduction in adenosine deaminase activities, the incorporation of exogenous adenosine into RNA species of the virus transformed cells was moderately increased. The significance between reduction in adenosine deaminase activity and malignant transformation by Rous sarcoma virus remains to be eleucidated.