Immortalization of peripheral blood lymphocytes of cats by human T-cell leukemia virus

Peripheral blood lymphocytes of domestic cats were co-cultivated with lethally irradiated MT-2 cells, which produced human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-I). Two cat lymphoid cell lines, CaL-1 and CaL-2, established and maintained without exogenously added T-cell growth factor, were characterized after more than 6 months of cultivation. These cells grew in suspension, had a chromosome number of 38 and lacked cytoplasmic and surface immunoglobulins. CaL-2 cells formed E-rosettes. Both cell lines harbored HTLV genomes but not human Alu family sequences, which are highly repetitious in the human genome, suggesting that transfer of human DNA fragments was not necessary for their immortalization or transformation. HTLV antigens were detected in CaL-1 and CaL-2 cells by indirect immunofluorescence assay. CaL-1 and CaL-2 cells both expressed viral proteins with apparent molecular weights of 53 kd, 24 kd and 19 kd, and CaL-2 cells also expressed 28 kd and 20 kd proteins. Reverse transcriptase activity was detected in culture fluid of CaL-2 cells, but not of CaL-1 cells. CaL-2 cells but not CaL-1 cells had syncytium-induced activity. These findings indicated that lymphocytes of cats, especially T lymphocytes, were susceptible to infection with HTLV and to immortalization by HTLV.