The generation of small-plaque mutants during undiluted passage of canine distemper virus.
A culture of Vero cells persistently infected with undiluted-passage, large-plaque canine distemper virus was found to release small-plaque virus (SPV). This suggested that SPV could be generated by large-plaque virus (LPV). However, attempts to induce small-plaque mutants from LPV with 5-fluorouracil resulted in the production of virus that expressed a variable plaque type and induced a spectrum of disease in hamsters. In contrast, small-plaque mutants, shown to arise during undiluted passage of LPV, retained their small-plaque characteristic and resembled our original SPV isolate in their cytopathogenicity, immunogenicity, and neurovirulence for hamsters.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009154:Mutation; D013696:Temperature; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
D000914:Antibodies, Viral