Action of cobra venom cardiotoxin on chick embryonal fibroblasts transformed with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus

Abstract

The cytolytic action of cardiotoxin analogue III from the venom of the Formosan cobra on chick embryonal fibroblasts transformed with a temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus was investigated. The 50% effective dose of the toxin for the cells cultured at a non-permissive temperature (41°C) or for noninfected normal cells was about 8 μg ml whereas the value was 2 μg ml for the cells cultured at a permissive temperature (36°C). This indicates that the transformed cells became more susceptible to the cytolytic action of the toxin than the non-transformed cells.