Characterization of SA12 as a simian virus 40-related papovavirus of chacma baboons

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SA12 virus, originally isolated from an uninoculated South African vervet monkey kidney culture, was identified as a new member of the SV-40-polyoma subgroup of papovaviruses. The virus produced a cytopathic effect with nuclear enlargement in primary rhesus kidney cells. The virion had papovavirus morphology and a diameter of 44-45 nm. The DNA of the virus was a circular, double-stranded, superhelical molecule with a mean length 101% that of SV-40 DNA and an estimated MW of 3.3 .times. 106. The virus was unrelated to other papovaviruses by neutralization, immune electron microscopy and immunofluorescence tests with antiviral sera. SA12 virus-infected cells exhibited a capsid antigen, which was recently found to be common to viruses of the SV-40-polyoma subgroup. The virus readily transformed kidney cells from 10 day old hamsters. Inoculation of transformed cells produced tumors in 3-4 wk old hamsters. The T [tumor] antigens of SA12 and SV-40 viruses were strongly and reciprocally cross-reactive. A high proportion of the sera of chacma baboons, Papio ursinus, and a comparatively lower proportion of the sera of vervet monkeys, Cercopithecus pygerythrus, had neutralizing antibodies to SA12 virus.