Host Influence on the Antigenic Composition of the Kilham Rat Virus

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The Kilham rat virus (RV) was found to vary in infectivity and antigenic characteristics when propagated in two different host systems. Both cross hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and cross virus-neutralization tests revealed that a nonreciprocal or one way cross exists between RV propagated in rat embryo cell cultures (RE-RV) and RV propagated in suckling hamsters (H-RV). Specifically, immune serum to RE-RV inhibited hemagglutination and infectivity by both viruses to the same extent. Immune serum to H-RV, however, exhibited higher HI and neutralization titers to H-RV than to RE-RV. Infectivity studies demonstrated that, although both viruses were able to infect either host, the virus showed a higher infectivity titer for the last host in which it had been propagated. Serological studies indicated that H-RV possesses an antigen(s) not found on the RE-RV. This host-controlled variation did not result after a single passage in the new host, but rather required at least three passages for a complete conversion to occur, and did not appear to result from the incorporation of unaltered host antigens into the virus particle. Solubilization of purified RV propagated in each host with sodium dodecyl sulfate, 2-mercaptoethanol, and urea followed by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels indicated that the number of components in the protein of each virus was not the same.

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