Large- and small-plaque variants of oncogenic Simian Adenovirus SA7(C8).

Abstract

AbstractPreparations of simian adenovirus SA7, strain C8, highly oncogenic for hamsters, contain a mixture of large‐ and small‐plaque variants. The variants do not differ in their adsorption rates, virus yield per cell, sensitivity to sulfated agar polysaccharides or antigenic properties, as determined by neutralization tests. However, the small‐plaque variant releases infectious virus from cells at a slower rate than the large‐plaque variant. It is also more oncogenic for hamsters than the large‐plaque variant, but the tumors induced by the two variants do not differ morphologically. The variants seem to induce a transplantation antigen of similar or related antigenicity. Fewer cells are required for transplantation of tumors induced by the original virus and the small‐plaque variant than for transplantation of tumors induced by the large‐plaque variant.