Virus Adsorption and Plaque Formation in Monolayer Cultures of Trypsin-Dispersed Monkey Kidney

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Abstract
Summary: Virus adsorption and plaque formation by poliomyelitis, herpes-B, and vaccinia viruses have been studied in monolayer cultures of monkey kidney. Under the conditions employed, it was found that the time required for adsorption of 50% of the plaque-forming units was approximately 30 minutes for herpes-B virus and between 1 and 2 hours for poliomyelitis and vaccinia viruses. The fate of virus not adsorbed at the time of agar overlay was also investigated. The results suggest that unadsorbed particles of poliomyelitis virus diffuse through the agar, eventually reach the cell layer and produce plaques. Unadsorbed particles of herpes-B or vaccinia viruses seem to diffuse poorly, if at all, and do not produce plaques if dispersed in the agar overlay. It has been suggested that this difference in “diffusion-adsorption” pattern may be a function of the size of the virus particles involved. Adsorption rates were (a) directly related to the temperature of incubation, (b) not demonstrably affected when pH of the diluent was varied from 6.0 to 8.0 and were (c) the same for large and small numbers of virus particles in the inoculum.