Selection of temperature-sensitive mutants in persistent infection by parainfluenza virus type 3

Vero cells persistently infected with parainfluenza virus type 3 (para 3) were examined for the production of temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants. After 6 months and 33 passages, ts mutants formed the great majority of the virus being shed into the supernatant fluid. Complementation studies gave evidence that the mutants shared a common lesion. Although ts mutants may play a role in the maintenance of persistent infection in this system, the mutants proved to be unstable when removed from the milieu of persistent infection. It is thus possible that their selection may be secondary to (an) unidentified factor(s) which play(s) a more primary role in the maintenance process.