Concanavalin A agglutinability of some enveloped RNA viruses modified by host cell transformation

The dependence on concanavalin A (Con A) concentration of agglutinability of some enveloped RNA viruses grown in transformed cells was compared with that of those grown in nontransformed cells. The avian oncoviruses were purified by centrifuging to equilibrium in a combination equilibrium: viscosity gradient of potassium tartrate and glycerol after conventional isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Avian oncoviruses were more agglutinable with Con A when grown in transformed cells than when grown in nontransformed cells. Vesicular stomatitis virus grown in transformed cells was also more agglutinable than the virus grown in nontransformed cells. These results agree with the concept that the envelopes are modified by host cell transformation and that, therefore, viruses grown in transformed cells are expected to be more agglutinable with Con A than those grown in nontransformed cell.