Infectivity dissociated from transforming activity in a human retrovirus, adult T-cell leukemia virus

Abstract

Adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV)-associated antigen was induced in normal human peripheral or cord lymphocytes by inoculation of cell-free ATLV from a producer line, MT-2. Induction of the antigen was much more efficient, when the cells were treated with phytohemagglutinin before infection. Most ATLV-specific antigen (ATLA)-positive cells induced by ATLV in peripheral lymphocytes formed rosettes with sheep erythrocytes, but 20 to 40% of those induced in cord lymphocytes were not rosette-forming cells. Continuous proliferation of ATLA-positive cells was not observed.