Purification of the Moloney and Rauscher Murine Leukemia Viruses by Use of Zonal Ultracentrifuge Systems

The B-IV and B-IX zonal ultracentrifuge rotors were applied to the concentration and purification of the Moloney and Rauscher murine leukemia viruses from large volumes of infected tissue culture fluids and animal materials. Potassium tartrate, potassium citrate and sucrose gradients were used to obtain viral concentrates from the density 1.16 to 1.18 zone. Proteolytic enzyme digestion of tissue culture preparations prior to zonal ultracentrifuge processing was effective in releasing virus from cell debris and producing highly purified, though nonleukemogenic, viral concentrates. Infected Rauscher mouse plasma was processed to give highly purified infectious virus fractions. A single centrifugation of crude Rauscher mouse spleen homogenates resulted in partially purified infectious concentrates with high virus particle counts.     

Production of Virus by Mammalian Cells Transformed by Rous Sarcoma and Murine Sarcoma Viruses

Cultured cells of mammalian tumors induced by ribonucleic acid (RNA)-containing oncogenic viruses were examined for production of virus. The cell lines were established from tumors induced in rats and hamsters with either Rous sarcoma virus (Schmidt-Ruppin or Bryan strains) or murine sarcoma virus (Moloney strain). When culture fluids from each of the cell lines were examined for transforming activity or production of progeny virus, none of the cell lines was found to be infectious. However, electron microscopic examination of the various cell lines revealed the presence of particles in the rat cells transformed by either Rous sarcoma virus or murine sarcoma virus. These particles, morphologically similar to those associated with murine leukemias, were found both in the extracellular fluid concentrates and in whole-cell preparations. In the latter, they were seen budding from the cell membranes or lying in the intercellular spaces. No viruslike particles were seen in preparations from hamster tumors. Exposure of the rat cells to (3)H-uridine resulted in the appearance of labeled particles with densities in sucrose gradients typical of virus (1.16 g/ml.). RNA of high molecular weight was extracted from these particles, and double-labeling experiments showed that this RNA sedimented at the same rate as RNA extracted from Rous sarcoma virus. None of the hamster cell lines gave radioactive peaks in the virus density range, and no extractable high molecular weight RNA was found. These studies suggest that the murine sarcoma virus produces an infection analogous to certain "defective" strains of Rous sarcoma virus, in that particles produced by infected cells have a low efficiency of infection. The control of the host cell over the production and properties of the RNA-containing tumorigenic viruses is discussed.     

Studies on the asymmetric arrangement of membrane-lipid-enveloped virions as a model system.

Lipids of BHK 21 cells (baby hamster kidney) grown in tissue culture were labelled with radioactive fatty acids. The enveloped vesicular stomatitis virus was propagated in this host cell type. The virions were purified by density gradient centrifugation. Neuraminidase treatment of the intact virions led to a complete transformation of hematoside [N-acetylneuraminosyl(alpha2-3)lactosyl(beta1-1)ceramide] into lactosylceramide, with identical labelling of the ceramide portion in hematoside of the untreated virions and the lactosylceramide of the neuraminidase-treated particles. The morphology of the virions appeared unchanged in electron micrographs, but the neuraminic-acid-free virions had a strong tendency to aggregate. The results of these studies are evidence that gangliosides are integrated exclusively into the outer lamella of the lipid bilayer in the viral envelope. It is also evident that the viral envelope is a suitable model for studies on membrane asymmetry.     

Growth characteristics in cell culture and pathogenicity in mice of two terrestrial rabies strains indigenous to Canada

Two strains of street rabies virus from striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were used to infect either a murine neuroblastoma (NA 1300) or a baby hamster kidney (BHK-21/C13) cell culture and the cell infection rates were noted during 4 days postinfection. These cultures were then passaged for four consecutive passages, and the viruses obtained in the supernatant fluids of passage 4 were then treated as original isolates and used to infect both neuroblastoma and baby hamster kidney cells. The mortality period in Swiss white mice caused by the various virus suspensions was noted. The virus strain from the brain of skunks from Saskatchewan infected neuroblastoma and baby hamster kidney cells equally well, produced similar virus titres in supernatant fluids after four subcultures in both cell types, and appeared to produce similar mortality periods in mice from either the original brain tissue or from cell culture supernatant fluids. On the other hand, the virus from the brains of skunks from Ontario readily infected neuroblastoma but poorly infected baby hamster kidney cell cultures. Passage of this strain through four subcultures in both cell types produced virus titres in the supernatant fluids of equal magnitude. However, reisolation of the virus from the supernatant fluid of passage 4 in neuroblastoma cell cultures showed a similar pattern to that from the original brain, while the virus from baby hamster kidney cell passage supernatant fluid was considerably altered. Although the mortality period in mice was similar with virus from the brain and neuroblastoma cell cultures, this period was shortened when mice were inoculated with baby hamster kidney culture supernatant virus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

IN VIVO AND IN VITRO OBSERVATIONS OF LEPTOSPIRA POMONA BY ELECTRON MICROSCOPY.

Miller, Norman G. (University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha) and Richard B. Wilson. In vivo and in vitro observations of Leptospira pomona by electron microscopy. J. Bacteriol. 84:569-576. 1962.-Leptospira pomona 3341 was observed by electron microscopy, after the preparation of thin sections from culture material and from infected hamster tissue. The external membrane of low electron density envelops the entire leptospire and appears to be quite flexible, as suggested by its many folds. The spiral protoplasmic body is tubular in structure with a relatively dense wall and a central area of low electron density. Occasionally, very dark circumscribed bodies were seen imbedded in the protoplasmic wall. Detailed morphology is presented of a knoblike structure located at the end of the axial filament. Bifurcation of the axial filament could be demonstrated in leptospires from cultures. Leptospires were observed free or enclosed in vesicles within the cytoplasm of liver parenchymal and renal tubule cells. Erythrocytes located in kidney tissue also contained leptospires within the cytoplasm. The appearance of intracellular leptospires is much the same as those seen extracellularly or from culture.     

Isolation of Naturally Occurring Viruses of the Murine Leukemia Virus Group in Tissue Culture

A tissue culture cell system for isolation and identification of members of the murine leukemia virus group (the complement fixation for murine leukemia test) was modified to permit the isolation of naturally occurring virus from leukemic and normal mice. The important factors for increasing the sensitivity of the test were the use of National Institutes of Health (NIH) strain Webster Swiss embryo cell cultures and the selection of rat-immune sera having complement-fixing antibodies to tissue culture antigens of both the Gross and FMR subgroups. In all, 163 strains of mouse leukemia virus, from 11 inbred mouse strains, have been isolated. Representative virus isolates were shown to possess the properties of the murine leukemia virus group; i.e., they were chloroform-sensitive, noncytopathic agents which replicated in mouse embryo tissue culture and produced group-reactive, complement-fixing antigen and budding C-type particles visible by electron microscopy. These viruses could serve as helpers in the rescue of Moloney sarcoma virus genome from non-producer hamster sarcoma cells, yielding pseudotypes. All of the 19 field isolates tested were neutralized by Gross passage A antiserum but not by potent antisera to the Moloney, Rauscher, and Friend strains. Virus was recovered regularly from embryos and from the plasma and spleen of adult mice of high leukemic strains. In low leukemic mouse strains, different patterns of virus detection were observed. In C3H/He mice, virus was occasionally present in embryos and was found in 40% of adult spleens. BALB/c mice were virus-negative as fetuses or weanlings, but spleens of more than half of the mice over 6 months of age yielded virus. NIH mice have never yielded virus. In reciprocal matings between AKR and BALB/c mice, virus recovery from embryos was maternally determined. The development of tissue culture isolation procedures made possible for the first time the application of classical infectious disease methods to the study of the natural history of murine leukemia virus infection.     

Sensitive Procedure for Detecting Residual Viable Virus in Inactivated Rabies Vaccine

A procedure for testing inactivated rabies vaccines of tissue culture origin for residual viable virus is reported in which the vaccine to be tested is passed in primary hamster kidney cell culture (PHK) before mouse inoculation. In preliminary experiments, titrations of rabies virus in which each dilution was passed in PHK before inoculating mice yielded titers 100 to 10,000 times higher than the titers obtained for the same virus by direct mouse inoculation. This rabies virus amplification procedure was evaluated by testing 18 lots of inactivated rabies vaccine of tissue culture origin. No viable virus was found in these vaccine lots when tested by direct intracerebral inoculation of mice. Eight of these 18 lots were found to contain viable virus, however, when tested by passage in PHK cell culture. The significance of low levels of viable virus in rabies vaccines is discussed. It is recommended that the amplification procedure described in this report be used in the safety testing of rabies vaccines of tissue culture origin and that it be evaluated for use in testing other rabies vaccines of low tissue content.     

FBJ osteosarcoma virus in tissue culture. III. Isolation and characterization of non-virus-producing FBJ-transformed cells.

Hamster and rat cell lines have been established that have been transformed by FBJ murine sarcoma virus (FBJ-MuSV) but that do not produce virus. The hamster cell line originated from an osteosarcoma that appeared in a hamster inoculated at birth with an extract of a CFNo1 mouse FBJ-osteosarcoma. The rat cell line was obtained by transferring the FBJ-MuSV genome to normal rat kidney cells in the absence of the FBJ type C virus (FBJ-MuLV), which, usually in high concentration, accompanies the FBJ-MuSV. Both transformed hamster and rat cell lines contain the FBJ-MuSV genome, which can be rescued by ecotropic and xenotropic murine type C viruses. This rescued genome produces characteristic FBJ-MuSV foci in tissue culture and, in appropriate animal hosts, induces osteosarcomas typical of those induced by FBJ-MuSV. FBJ-MuSV was isolated originally from a parosteal osteosarcoma that occurred naturally in a mouse. Since there was no previous history of passage of the agent through any other animal species, these non-virus-producing hamster and rat cells transformed by FBJ-MuSV should be very helpful in molecular studies examining the origin of spontaneous sarcoma genomes in mice.     

Polynucleotide Ligase Activity in Cells Infected with Simian Virus 40, Polyoma Virus, or Vaccinia Virus

The conversion of simian virus 40 (SV40) component II deoxyribonucleic acid to component I has been used to assay polynucleotide ligase in extracts of tissue culture cells. All cell types examined, including chicken, hamster, mouse, monkey, and human cells, contained adenosine triphosphate-dependent ligase. After infection of mouse embryo, monkey kidney, and HeLa cells with polyoma virus, SV40, and vaccinia virus, respectively, the enzyme activity increased, but its cofactor requirement was unchanged. In vaccinia virus-infected cells, the increased activity was localized in the cytoplasm. Ligase induction occurred in the presence of cytosine arabinoside but was prevented by puromycin. Rifampicin blocked the production of infectious vaccinia particles but had little effect on the induction of ligase.     

The effect of dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate on the synthesis of glycolipids by normal and transformed Nil cells

The synthesis of complex glycolipids was examined in two clones (Nil 1Cl and Nil 2Cl) of the Nil 2 line and their hamster sarcoma virus-transformed derivatives. Nil 2Cl contains three neutral glycolipids which increase in concentration as cells become confluent. However, the kinetics of increase differs for each of the three. The Forssman glycolipid increases in parallel with cell growth and reaches a maximal level just before cells reach their saturation density. Synthesis of globoside increases significantly only after the culture reaches saturation density. These “density-dependent” glycolipids are lost or decreased in concentration after transformation by hamster sarcoma virus.The growth of both normal and transformed cells is inhibited by treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The density at which they stop growth is dependent upon the inoculum density. The glycolipid patterns of normal and transformed cells has been examined in the presence or absence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. In the presence of the nucleotide transformed cells did not regain the glycolipids or density-dependent synthesis of glycolipids which they lost as a result of transformation.     

The zonal centrifuge applied to the purification of a low-yield virus in human leukemia cells

The herpes-type virus found in certain cell cultures derived from Burkitt's lymphoma, other human leukemias, and normal human leukocytes, was concentrated and partially purified by large-volume density gradient centrifugation using zonal centrifuge systems. Using the Jiyoye (P-3) cell line as a model, rate-zonal runs on disrupted cell suspensions in sucrose gradients yielded concentrates with high virus particle counts when 10–15 ml of packed cells were processed per liter of gradient. Isolation and removal of cell nuclei or fluorocarbon treatment of cell sonicates permitted virus recovery from larger volumes of cells per experiment. Zonal centrifugation of concentrated cell-free spent media from highly infected cell cultures yielded more purified virus than obtained from cells. Viral concentrates were prepared with particle counts of 10¹⁰–10¹¹/ml and total protein concentrations of 0.2–0.5 mg/ml. Subsequent isopyenie-zonal centrifugation of the various high-count virus fractions from the zonal centrifuge showed a heterogeneity in buoyant virus density ranging from 1.18 to 1.27 in potassium tart rate. The spread in virus density was attributed to the different morphological forms of the virus observed by electron microscopy.     

Long-term persistence of cytomegalovirus genome in cultured human cells of prostatic origin.

Cells from prostatic tissue obtained from a 3-year-old male donor exhibited scattered foci of cytopathology on primary culture. A virus was isolated and shown by serological analysis to be cytomegalovirus (CMV). After a number of cell culture passages, a cell line (disignated CMV-Mj-P) was obtained in which foci of infection could no longer be demonstrated, nor could virus be rescued. On continued passage the doubling time of the cells decreased markedly, and the fibroblastoid cells ceased to demonstrate contact inhibition. CMV-specific antigen(s) was detected on the surface of the cells by indirect immunofluorescence techniques after exposure of the cultures to iododeoxyuridine. Microcytotoxocity tests established that CMV-Mj-P cells, but not control human prostate cells or human embryonic lung cells, share a membrane antigen with hamster cells transformed by CMV. Nucleic acid hybridization studies revealed that virus genetic information was carried by the human prostate cells and that the cells contained an average of about 10 to 15 genome equivalents of CMV DNA. Karyotypic analysis confirmed that the CMV-Mj-P cells were of human male origin. These results indicate that the cells either have been transformed by CMV or are chronically infected with CMV and releasing virus at levels below detection.     

The purification and partial characterization of a serum factor associated with a neoplasm in golden hamsters

A previous report by Stevens and Schwenk (1) showed that serum from hamsters carrying ascites tumors in contrast to normal serum contained a factor that appeared to be proteinaceous in nature that induced cleavage in multinucleated hamster cells in tissue culture when estrogen was present. In this paper a method for purification of the factor(s) from ascites fluid that produces a 5000-fold purification is described. The factor has an electrophoretic mobility in acrylamide gel at pH 8.3 similar to prealbumin and concentrates in the pH gradient on electrofocusing in the region of pH 5.5-5.8. Although the chemical nature of the factor(s) is still uncertain, the electrophoretic properties are consistent with it being a simple or complex polypeptide or protein.     

Glycolipid glycosyl transferases of a hamster cell line in culture. II. Subcellular distribution and the effect of culture age and density.

The activities of two galactosyl transferases catalysing the formation of di- and tri-glycosyl ceramides in NIL-2 hamster cells have been studied with respect to culture age and density, subcellular distribution, and transformation of cells by virus. The activity of the transferases was found to increase considerably as culture density increased, although maximal activities were found before appreciable cell contact occurred. The highest transferase activities were found in the endoplasmic reticulum. Virus transformation reduces the activity of the transferase catalysing triglycosyl ceramide synthesis, while the transferase catalysing diglycosyl ceramide synthesis is slightly increased. There is no evidence that the transformed cells produce a dialysable soluble inhibitor of transferase activities.     

Production of the mouse mammary tumor virus in cultures of BALB/cfC3H strain

The mouse mammary tumor virus (MTV) reproduces by a budding mechanism at the cell membrane of mouse mammary epithelial cells. In tissue culture, the tumor cells release their virions in the culture supernatant from which they can be removed by high speed centrifugation. Mammary tumor cells from the RIII, GR, and A strains of mice generally produce yields of virus which decrease after a few months. Cells derived from a spontaneous mammary tumor in a BALB/cfC3H mouse have shown the capability to shed relatively large amounts of virus continuously. A quantitative estimation by membrane immunofluorescence of the number of virus producing cells in one-year-old cultures revealed the presence of viral antigen on 80 to 90% of the cells; by comparison, cultures from other mouse strains had a ratio of only 10 to 15% virus producing cells. High speed centrifugation pellets obtained from 50 ml culture supernatant provided large amounts of mature virus particles which have been characterized by electron microscopy.     

Properties of Noninfectious and Transforming Viruses Released by Murine Sarcoma Virus-Induced Hamster Tumor Cells

The cell culture lines HTG2 and HTG3 were established from a transplantable hamster tumor induced by a murine sarcoma virus (strain Gz-MSV) after 17 and 60 in vivo passages, respectively. The viruses released by these two cell lines markedly differ in morphology, antigenic composition, infectivity, transforming ability, and enzymatic activity. HTG2 virions contained the sarcoma genome but were noninfectious for mouse and hamster cells (S+H-virus). HTG3 virions transformed hamster but not mouse cells. Whereas HTG2 cells and its virus contained murine type C virus gs-1 antigen, all HTG3 clonal lines expressed both murine and hamster type C virus gs-1 antigens. The RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of HTG2 virus was very low, whereas that of HTG3 virus was relatively high. HTG2 virions contained electron-lucent centers only. HTG3 virus consisted of the expected mixture of virions with electron-dense and electron-lucent centers. Many broken or incomplete virions were present in both viruses. HTG2 virus is a noninfectious "defective" sarcoma virus without detectable helper virus. Data obtained in these experiments suggest that HTG3 virus is a hamster type C virus pseudotype of Gz-MSV (Gz-MSV [HaLV]). The genome of Gz-MSV is capable of antigenic expression in heterologous cells and in the presence of heterologous viruses. Attempts to chemically activate hamster type C virus (HaLV) from HTG2 cells were unsuccessful. The HTG1 cell culture line, established from another Gz-MSV-induced hamster tumor, initially released a virus indistinguishable from the HTG2 virus. After in vitro passage, spontaneous activation of HaLV occurred in HTG1 cells, and the resultant Gz-MSV (HaLV) had properties similar to those of the HTG3 virus.     

应用细胞工厂建立人用狂犬病疫苗连续培养多次收获工艺

目的为提高生产效率、增加原代地鼠肾细胞单产量及狂犬病病毒产量,建立人用狂犬病疫苗（地鼠肾细胞）连续培养多次收获工艺。方法选用12-14日龄SPF地鼠,无菌取肾经消化,制备成细胞悬液,分装到40层细胞工厂并培养细胞成单层;接种狂犬病病毒固定毒aG株,连续培养病毒并多次收获。分别对同一细胞批制备的多个单次病毒收获液的免疫原性、病毒滴度和地鼠肾细胞蛋白质含量进行检测。结果用40层细胞工厂培养原代地鼠肾细胞和狂犬病病毒,细胞接种浓度为1．0×10。～1．5x10。cells／mL,（36±1）℃培养72h成致密单层;按0．1MOI病毒接种,可进行6次收获病毒;多个单次病毒收获液病毒滴度均不低于6．0lgLD50／mL;免疫原性检查保护指数不低于100;地鼠肾细胞蛋白质残留量随着收获次数的增加而不断降低。结论用细胞工厂建立了人用狂犬病疫苗连续培养多次收获工艺,能显著提高地鼠。肾单产量,增加产能。     

Selective isolation and culture of a proliferating epithelial cell population from the hamster trachea

A reliable cell isolation technique was developed to allow the cultivation of cells from the hamster respiratory tract. Repeated thermolysin treatments and gradient centrifugation yielded a cellculture completely free from contamination by fibroblasts. Viable cells could be isolated from as little tissue as a single hamster trachea, but in vitro proliferation occurred only if the hamster was less than 4 months of age. The cultured cells could be repeatedly passaged and subcultured for weeks by employing normal tissue culture techniques. Morphologically, the monolayers appeared to be a homogeneous population of epithelial cells, and successful cloning of freshly isolated single cells resulted in apparently identical cultures. The epiethelial origin of these cells was also suggested by continued growth in minimum essential medium with D-valine substituted for L-valine. The relative ease with which this cell type can be isolated, cultured, and manipulated in vitro should encourage its application as a model of the respiratory epithelium.     

草鱼出血病混合感染的嗜水气单胞菌的分离、鉴定与理化特性

从患出血病草鱼的肝脏病灶中分离筛选出2株致病菌。取病鱼样品组织过滤液接种CIK细胞、培养, 电镜下观察到细胞质中含有草鱼呼肠孤病毒样颗粒和包涵体, 病毒颗粒大小65 nm~ 70 nm, 包涵体0.46 μm~1.81 μm。人工回归感染实验显示分离的菌株及细胞毒悬液均能使草鱼致病死亡。对分离菌株进行细胞形态学、理化特性分析及药敏试验, 初步判定所分离的2株菌均为嗜水气单胞菌。进一步对菌株进行DNA分子鉴定, 结果显示2株菌的16S rRNA基因、促旋酶亚单位蛋白(gryB)基因均与GenBank上的嗜水     

Selective isolation and culture of a proliferating epithelial cell population from the hamster trachea

Summary A reliable cell isolation technique was developed to allow the cultivation of cells from the hamster respiratory tract. Repeated thermolysin treatments and gradient centrifugation yielded a cell culture completely free from contamination by fibroblasts. Viable cells could be isolated from as little tissue as a single hamster trachea, but in vitro proliferation occurred only if the hamster was less than 4 months of age. The cultured cells could be repeatedly passaged and subcultured for weeks by employing normal tissue culture techniques. Morphologically, the monolayers appeared to be a homogeneous population of epithelial cells, and successful cloning of freshly isolated single cells resulted in apparently identical cultures. The epithelial origin of these cells was also suggested by continued growth in minimum essential medium withd-valine substituted forl-valine. The relative ease with which this cell type can be isolated, cultured, and manipulated in vitro should encourage its application as a model of the respiratory epithelium. This research was supported by Public Health Service Grant P50-HL 19171 and Research Career Development Award 1-K04-AI 00178 to J. B. B.