[Malignant lymphoma in rabbits induced by the administration of herpes virus-containing material from brown macaques]

Oncogenicity for rabbits of lymphotropic herpesvirus of M. arctoides (HVMA) isolated by us earlier from lymphoid cells of lines MAL-1-3 has been shown in the course of studies. Inoculation of animals both with HVMA-containing cells and cell-free virus caused the development of generalized malignant lymphomas of prolymphocytic-lymphoblastic character leading the animals to death. The molecular hybridization method permitted revealing DNA sequences related to the DNAs of B-lymphotropic herpesviruses of primates in the cells of HVMA-containing cultures, primarily-induced tumours, and in a cell line established from rabbit tumour. This fact is indicative of etiological role of HVMA in the development of malignant lymphomas in rabbits. The question about the origin of the C type particles found in MAL-1-3 and OK-1 cells remains open.