Persistent infection of Friend erythroleukemia cells with vaccinia virus

Cultures of murine Friend erythroleukemia (FL) cells, which are chronically infected with leukemia virus, were inoculated with vaccinia virus. The yield of vaccinia virus was determined by assaying plaque-forming units in mouse L2 cells, and the yield of leukemia virus was determined by measuring reverse transcriptase (RNA-dependent DNA nucleotidyltransferase) activity released into the culture fluid. Although no facilitation of one virus by the other was detected, persistently infected cultures were established. Electron microscopic examination revealed the presence of vaccinia and leukemia viruses in the same cell. The permanent lines of cells persistently infected with vaccinia were designated FLvac. Their morphology, growth rate, cloning efficiency, and ability to respond to the induction of erythrodifferentiation by treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide were not appreciably altered as compared to the parental FL cells. However, the persistently infected cells showed a marked decrease in tumorigenicity when assayed in DBA/2 mice. The infectious virus produced by FLvac cells and by L2 cells were indistinguishable as judged by restriction endonuclease patterns of virion DNA, structural proteins, and the activities of two virion-associated DNases. The yield of infectious vaccinia virus from FLvac cells generally declined after about 60 serial passages. Although some cell lines no longer yield infectious virus, they are resistant to challenge with vaccinia at concentrations that are cytolytic for L2 cells. The mechanism responsible for the establishment of the persistent infection remains unclear because defective particles, interferon production, and temperature-sensitive mutants have not been detected.