Studies on persistent infections of tissue cultures. II. Nature of the resistance to vesicular stomatitis virus.

Efforts were made to elucidate the nature of the resistance to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) observed in MCN cultures persistently infected with Newcastle disease, mumps, or 6-6 viruses (MCN(NDV), MCN(Mps) and MCN(6-6), respectively). Cells derived from persistently infected cultures adsorbed VSV to the same extent as their uninfected counterparts. Only a fraction of the adsorbed virus could be recovered from the cells indicating that it enters into an eclipse in all of the cell types. While propagation of VSV in MCN cells is largely inhibited at low pH levels, the resistance of persistently infected cultures could not be ascribed to their increased lactic acid formation. Resistance was not absolute in that a few cells in persistently infected cultures apparently supported VSV reproduction. Furthermore resistance of the cultures was found to be transitory in that the VSV infection gradually gained the upper hand after 2 to 4 weeks of incubation. Addition of ultraviolet-inactivated NDV to MCN cultures induced resistance to VSV as long as the equivalent of at least one ID(50) (for chick embryos) of inactivated virus was provided per cell. Establishment of resistance required some time and its duration depended upon whether or not the free inactivated NDV was removed or neutralized after given adsorption periods. The transitory nature of resistance in persistently infected cultures, or in MCN cells following adsorption of inactivated NDV, is most likely explained by the fact that the cells continue to divide and that the daughter cells are, at least in part, susceptible to VSV. The results are compatible with the conclusion that the resistance observed represents another example of interference between 2 viruses.