Transmission of human T-cell leukemia virus type I to an S+L− cat kidney cell line

The S + L − cat kidney cell line CCC was cocultivated with lethally irradiated human lymphoid cell lines that were producing human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). Eight of nine S + L − CCC sublines that had been cocultivated with nine different HTLV-producing T-cell lines gave positive reactions for HTLV antigens by indirect immunofluorescence assay. One subline CCC/2M was cloned. The percentages of fluorescent cells differed markedly in different sublines and clones. Southern blot hybridization with HTLV probes and electrophoresis of immunoprecipitates indicated that defective HTLVs were often transmitted into S + L − cat cells. S + L − CCC cells were permissive for HTLV and the properties of HTLV-infected cat cells were heterogeneous.