[Comparative induction of viral antigen synthesis in various types of cells infected by polyoma virus]

Induction of synthesis of the viral antigens T and V during polyoma virus infection was studied in primary Mouse and Hamster kidney and brain cultures, as well as in various types of human cells. The results show that: (1) Despite a very low percentage of positive cells by immunofluorescence, Hamster brain cells produced more viral antigen than kidney cells, as opposed to what was found in Mouse brain cells. (2) Most human cells produced neither T nor V antigens. Conversely, a large number of brain cells synthesized the T antigen very early after infection.