title: Identification of a small, naked virus in tumor-like aggregates in cell lines derived from a green turtle, Chelonia mydas, with fibropapillomas.
abstract: Serial cultivation of cell lines derived from lung, testis, periorbital and tumor tissues of a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomas resulted in the in vitro formation of tumor-like cell aggregates, ranging in size from 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter. Successful induction of tumor-like aggregates was achieved in a cell line derived from lung tissue of healthy green turtles, following inoculation with cell-free media from these tumor-bearing cell lines, suggesting the presence of a transmissible agent. Thin-section electron microscopy of the cell aggregates revealed massive collagen deposits and intranuclear naked viral particles, measuring 50+/-5 nm in diameter. These findings, together with the morphological similarity between these tumor-like cell aggregates and the naturally occurring tumor, suggest a possible association between this novel virus and the disease. Further characterization of this small naked virus will clarify its role in etiology of green turtle fibropapilloma, a life-threatening disease of this endangered marine species.
authors.affiliation: Retrovirology Research Laboratory, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Leahi Hospital, 3675 Kilauea Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816, USA. ylu@pbrc.hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Work
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Balazs
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Nerurkar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008168:Lung / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010212:Papilloma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014426:Turtles; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral