Culture Characteristics of Brain Neuroglial Cells from Chickens Infected with Rous Sarcoma Virus

THE results of studies by Groupé and Rauscher (1957) and Rauscher and Groupé (1960) on growth of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) in the brain of chickens led to the assumption that RSV is probably synthesized by cells in the brain proper, as well as by affected meningeal tissue. In an earlier report from this laboratory (Adams, 1966), the response of cultured normal chicken brain neuroglial cells to infection with RSV was described. Following infection, the glial cells produced infective RSV without undergoing any obvious morphological changes. They continued to synthesize virus during serial passages. These findings plus the results of recent experiments presented below lend further support to the supposition of Groupé and Rauscher (1957) that cells in the brain proper have the capacity to synthesize RSV. This report describes the culture characteristics of trypsin-dispersed whole brain from chickens infected intracerebrally with RSV. MATERIALS AND METHODS Source of Cells—Unsexed, . . .