Antisera from mice and rats incubated with syngeneic Rous sarcoma cells

CDF1, (BALB/c X DBA/2)F1, mice were repeatedly inoculated with transplantable mouse Rous sarcoma (SR-CDF1) cells which were half-killed by 60Co-irradiation beforehand to attain prolonged immunization. The sera obtained from these mice contained antibodies against the src and gag gene products of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). On the other hand, Fischer rats inoculated with syngeneic rat Rous cells transformed by Bryan high titer strain of RSV (BH(-)-3Y1) produced antibodies against the gag gene products but not the src gene product of RSV. As a substrate for the protein kinase associated with the src gene product, mouse IgG was found to be much less efficient than rabbit IgG when assayed in immunoprecipitates. Several other properties of the mouse antiserum were described.