[Testing the susceptibility of cultured cells to infection with bovine leukemia virus]

Different cell cultures were studied for their susceptibility to bovine leucosis virus infection. Syncytial assay was used for this study. The FLS/BLV+ cell line served as virus source. Cell lines BHK-21 and ZP-1/58 were found to be susceptible to syncytium formation. Large cells with one to three large nuclei, and loose nuclei reaching the size of syncytium were observed to occur in the BHK-21 and ZP-1/58 cell lines, apart from the syncytial formations. The virus specificity of the syncytia arising in these two cell lines was confirmed by the immunofluorescence assay. In the case of the immunoperoxidase assay, a positive result was obtained only in the BHK-21 cell line. The occurrence of syncytia and large nuclei was observed even in the cases when the BHK-21 cells were infected with the lymphocytes of leucotic cows.