The cells of a human epithelial cancer cultivated en masse have been shown to support the multiplication of all three types of poliomyelitis virus. These cells (strain HeLa of Gey) have been maintained in vitro since their derivation from an epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix in February, 1951. As the virus multiplied it caused in from 12 to 96 hours degeneration and destruction of the cancer cells. The specific destructive effect of the virus was prevented by adding homotypic antibody to the cultures but not by adding heterotypic antibodies. Methods for the preparation of large numbers of replicate cultures with suspensions of strain HeLa cells were described. The cells in suspension were readily quantitated by direct counts in a hemocytometer. A synthetic solution that maintains cellular viability was employed for viral propagation. The experimental results demonstrate the usefulness of strain HeLa cells for (a) the quantitation of poliomyelitis virus, (b) the measurement of poliomyelitis antibodies, and (c) the production of virus.

No abstract

Primate cells naturally susceptible to poliovims infection possess specific surface receptors that permit poliovirus to be adsorbed quantitatively, received within the cell, eclipsed with loss of infectivity, replicated, and released with accompanying cytopathic effect. Conversely, non-primate cells are naturally insusceptible to poliovirus infection, do not possess active receptors, adsorb only a small fraction of supplied poliovirus, fail to eclipse or replicate measurable amounts of the cell-associated virus, and undergo no cytopathic change (1, 2). It was of interest to learn whether the specific capacity of primate ceils to receive, replicate, and release poliovirus was conditioned wholly by presence of specific receptors. Preliminary findings indicated lack of receptors required for cell infection by poliovirus could be surmounted by use of viral RNA (3).The present communication describes production of infectious poliovirus and other enteroviruses by non-primate cells exposed to viral ribonucleic acid, comparative efficiency of non-primate and primate cells for such virus production, and properties of the produced virus. Materials and MethodsCell Culture Methods.--Cell sources, cultural methods, solutions, and media have been described previously (I, 4).

The relationship of viruses with mammalian host cells involves two types of processes: those concerned with intake and output of infectious virus by cells, and those concerned with intracellular interaction of virus and cell components. A t present the connection between virus intake and virus replication has not been delineated, nor is it known whether the ability of a mammalian cell to respond to virus infection depends on processes facilitating virus entry and egress, or on processes of viral synthesis. The following study was concerned with p r i m a r y a t t a c h m e n t of poliovirus to fully susceptible or resistant cells in cultures of primate and non-primate origin. Materials and Methods