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J Bacteriol. 1966 December; 92(6): 1792-1804
Copyright © 1966 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Persistent Infection of Cells in Culture by Measles Virus I. Development and Characteristics of HeLa Sublines Persistently Infected with Complete Virus

Department of Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

ABSTRACT

RUSTIGIAN, ROBERT (Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.). Persistent infection of cells in culture by measles virus. I. Development and characteristics of HeLa sublines persistently infected with complete virus. J. Bacteriol. 92:1792–1804. 1966.—After the development of marked cytopathic effects in HeLa cultures infected with the Edmonston strain of measles virus, renewed cell growth occurred, and HeLa sublines persistently infected with measles virus were obtained. Persistent infection has occurred in a large fraction of the cells of infected clonal lines for more than 300 to 500 cell generations during a period of 6 years. One mechanism by means of which infection was maintained in the clonal lines is transmission of virus or viral subunits from cell to cell at division. Continued subculture of the persistently infected populations resulted in the virtual disappearance of cytopathic effects, a marked decrease in the amount of extracellular virus, and alterations in the cytopathogenicity of virus recovered from persistently infected populations. The intracellular virus-host cell events in late passages of the infected clonal lines appeared to be similar to those in cells of primary infected cultures at early stages of infection, as judged by the pattern of viral immunofluorescence and the very low incidence of cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies. Cultures of the persistently infected clonal lines were highly resistant to super infection by parent Edmonston virus. Cultures of one of these clonal lines were just as susceptible as normal HeLa cultures to vaccinia, herpes simplex, and polio type 2 viruses, and a simian agent, with a possible low degree of resistance to the simian agent.