COLORADO TICK FEVER VIRUS IN CELL CULTURE. I. CELL-TYPE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND INTERACTION WITH L CELLS

Abstract

Trent, Dennis W. (University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, Oklahoma City) and L. Vernon Scott. Colorado tick fever virus in cell culture. I. Cell-type susceptibility and interaction with L cells. J. Bacteriol. 88:702-708. 1964.-Colorado tick fever (CTF) virus was serially propagated in monolayer cultures of L and FL cells. Early passages of virus in FL cells yielded viral titers 10(4)-fold greater than did the corresponding L-cell passages. During L-cell passage number 4, there was a 10(3)-fold increase in the amount of infectious virus produced as compared with virus cultured earlier in this cell line. Viruses from L-cell passages 8 and 12 were identified with specific immune serum to be CTF viruses which were antigenically similar, if not identical, to the mouse-adapted virus. Parallel titrations of mouse-, L cell-, and FL cell-adapted viruses were performed in mice and replicate monolayers of L, FL, HeLa, KB, chick embryo, and cotton rat kidney cells. Cytopathic effects and viral replication were noted in all cultures except HeLa and cotton rat kidney. Cultures of L, FL, and chick embryo cells were as sensitive to infection as were suckling or weanling mice. KB cells were the least susceptible of those cell types examined. In L-cell cultures, 90% of the input virus was adsorbed to the cells during the first 30 min of incubation. The latent period lasted 10 to 12 hr, and was followed by rapid viral synthesis for the next 10 to 24 hr, depending upon the multiplicity of infection. Curves describing exponential increase in cell-associated and cell-released virus were separated by 4 hr. When the maximal total virus titers were reached, 80 to 90% of the virus was released from the cell.