Transformation of guinea pig leukocytes by coinfection with human T-cell lymphotropic virus types I and II.
OBJECTIVE
The susceptibility of guinea pigs to human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection and of their cardiac blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) to HTLV-induced transformation were investigated.


METHODS
Guinea pig CBMCs were cocultured with HTLV-infected cell lines. Guinea pigs were then inoculated with transformed guinea pig CBMCs.


RESULTS
The coculture experiment gave rise to a guinea pig cell line, GP-1, that was coinfected with both HTLV-I and HTLV-II as shown by immunofluorescence staining, electron microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific for the pol region of each virus, and Southern blot hybridization. The GP-1 cell line expressed T-cell markers and monocyte/macrophage markers. Three guinea pigs given an intraperitoneal inoculation of GP-1 cells seroconverted for HTLV-I and became positive for HTLV-I, HTLV-II, or both, as confirmed by PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
Guinea pigs and their CBMCs can be infected with HTLV-I and HTLV-II. This animal system may be useful as an experimental model of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection.
Murakami
K
K
Department of Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
Hatakeyama
N
N
Ikezoe
T
T
Kubota
T
T
Kubonishi
I
I
Ohtsuki
Y
Y
Sawada
T
T
Miyoshi
I
I
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000235:genetics; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000821:virology; D015491:HTLV-II Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000502:physiology*; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015684:Gene Products, pol