Presence of retrovirus in the B95-8 Epstein-Barr virus-producing cell line from different sources.
The B95-8 cell line, a widely used source of highly transforming Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), obtained from the laboratory of origin, harbored an infectious retrovirus. This retrovirus generally resembled the Type D retroviruses structurally and developmentally and like the Type D retroviruses preferred Mg2+ to Mn2+ in its RNA-directed DNA polymerase reaction. Evidence for the presence of retrovirus was found in B95-8 cultures from two other sources within the United States, either by assay for polymerase or by electron microscopy. Comparison of two B95-8 cell lines showed cytogenetic differences as well as differences in retroviral activities. The results suggest that any B95-8 culture should be tested for the presence of retrovirus before its use as a source of EBV.
D000818:Animals; D002143:Callitrichinae; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008345:Manganese / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000032:analysis*
D008345:Manganese; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D008274:Magnesium