Quantitative determination of mammary tumor virus in individual samples of mouse milk

The possibility to determine quantitatively the intact mammary tumor virus (MTV) in milk of mice carrying milk-transmitted MTV has been assayed by a method that allows direct comparison between individual milk samples. The method is based on (a) the measure of light scattering of partially purified MTV preparations, (b) the use of milk from genetically identical MTV free mice as blank and (c) the quantitative reference to the total protein content of whole milk. The sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of the procedure, as well as the requirement of appropriate quantitative references, are illustrated and discussed. BALB/c (MTV free), BALB/cfC3H, and BALB/cfRIII mice have been used.