Studies with the baboon endogenous virus and its pseudotype of murine sarcoma virus in marmosets

Three marmoset species (Saguinus oedipus oedipus, S. fuscicollis, Callithrix jacchus) failed to show evidence of infection or disease following inoculation of baboon endogenous type-C virus (BaEV). Cells infected with a Kirsten murine sarcoma-BaEV pseudotype (MSV[BaEV]) produced a progressive fibrosarcoma in S. o. oedipus and tumors in S. fuscicollis and C. jacchus which regressed. Tumor formation is believed to be due to growth of inoculated, virus-infected cells and not transformation of marmoset cells. S. o. oedipus showed the best serum neutralizing antibody response to BaEV and MSV(BaEV), S. fuscicollis a moderate response and C. jacchus no response.