OK10-transformed cell lines: viral component generation and tumorigenicity

Stable nonproducer (NP) cell lines transformed by the avian acute leukemia virus OK10 were established. All 13 studied NP quail cell lines released into the culture medium noninfectious, mostly reverse-transcriptase-negative particles containing the usual gag proteins. Infectious, transforming OK10 virus pseudotypes could be recovered by rescue with helper virus. p200, the putative transforming protein of OK10, was identified in in vitro translates of RNA from the noninfectious particles and in immunoprecipitates of cell extracts of the NP clones analyzed. Two NP clones, the reverse-transcriptase-negative B5 and -positive 9C cell lines, displayed striking differences in in vivo tumorigenicity. Although B5 induced no tumors in quails, 9C caused multiple tumors and cells derived from several tumors could be passaged in vitro. At no time during the in vivo passage or during more than 1 year of in vitro culture have the particles released by 9C cells acquired infectious properties. Possible reasons for the observed differences in tumorigenicity between the OK10 virus-transformed 9C and B5 NP cell lines are discussed.