Neoplastic transformation of rabbit cells by murine sarcoma viruses.
Neoplastic transformation of rabbit cells by Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (Ki-MSV), the Ki-MSV pseudotype of baboon endogenous virus (Ki-MSV[BaEV]) and the Moloney-MSV pseudotype of feline leukemia virus (M-MSV[FeLV]) is reported. Rabbit cells can be readily transformed by Ki-MSV, Ki-MSV(BaEV) and M-MSV(FeLV). Rabbit cells transformed by Ki-MSV and M-MSV(FeLV) were found to be virus producers, whereas those transformed by Ki-MSV(BaEV) were nonproducers (NP). The NP cells were obtained by simply infection rabbit cells with Ki-MSV(BaEV) and subculturing the infected cells. Although the morphologically altered NP cells did not produce infectious virus or murine leukemia virus antigen, they did contain a rescuable MSV genome. All of the transformed cells formed colonies in soft agar, grew to high saturation densities and produced tumors when transplanted into nude mice. The Ki-MSV and M-MSV(FeLV)-transformed cells produced tumors in newborn WH/J rabbits, thus providing an important tool for studying tumor immunity in the rabbit.
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D007708:Kirsten murine sarcoma virus; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus; D011817:Rabbits