SUMMARYThe replication of influenza viruses A/NWS-D, A/WS-MK and their rl~ recombinant in human embryo fibroblast (HEF) and human diploid fibroblast (LEP) cell lines was studied. In HEF cells virus NWS-D and recombinant r12 induced synthesis of virus-specific macromolecules and produced infectious virions; virus WS-MK induced synthesis of virus complementary RNA (cRNA), virion RNA (vRNA), proteins, RNP and non-infectious virions, but haemagglutinin cleavage was impaired and the virions formed contained uncleaved haemagglutinin. In LEP cells, infectious virions were formed only by virus NWS-D; viruses WS-MK and r~2 induced synthesis of virus cRNA, vRNA, proteins and RNP; virus rlz had the haemagglutinin cleaved, whereas in virus WS-MK this process was impaired; neither virus WS-MK nor r~2 was capable of forming virions.