Hepatitis A virus in cell culture. II. Growth characteristics of hepatitis A virus in Frhk-4/R cells.
The propagation of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is shown in a rapidly growing fetal rhesus monkey kidney cell line (Frhk-4/R). In the course of ten passages through Frhk-4/R cells the HAV, which was released in the supernatants of the cell cultures, was adapted to these cells. In the tenth passage 6 days after infection, it was possible to detect low amounts of HAV in the supernatants by radioimmunoassay (RIA). With indirect immunofluorescence 3 days after infection, a specific granular fluorescence was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of cells infected with HAV from the tenth passage. A persistent infection of Frhk-4/R cells appeared with a main peak at a density of 1.32 g/cm(3) in CsCl density gradients. In the 1.32 g/cm(3) fractions, typical HAV particles are shown by electron microscopy. Furthermore the HAV produced in Frhk-4/R cells is shown to be a useful antigen for diagnostic tests.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005333:Fetus; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
D000956:Antigens, Viral