Productive and abortive growth of an oncogenic simian adenovirus SV20 in cultured cells.

The growth characteristics of an oncogenic simian adenovirus, SV20, in rhesus monkey (RhMK) and hamster kidney (HamK) cell cultures were compared. The ad sorption rate of SV20 in both cell systems was rather slow, but increased steadily up to 6 hr. There was 3 to 8 times more cell-associated virus in RhMK cells than in HamK cells during the first 6 hr of infection. A complete growth cycle of SV20 was obtained in infected monkey cells. This includes sequential nuclear alterations, pro duction of T antigen, viral antigen, and infectious virus. In hamster cells, SV20 induced an abortive infection. Eosinophilic inclusions and T antigen were observed as two distinct entities in the infected hamster cells, but no viral antigen or infectious virus was found in the hamster cell system. Marked stimulation of DNA synthesis in SV20-infected hamster cells was observed.