Comparative study of RSV rescue from RSV‐transformed mammalian cells

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Abstract
All individual heterokaryons obtained by fusion of cells of the five different mammalian RSV‐transformed virogenic cells with indicator chicken fibroblasts produced infectious RSV. In contrast, non‐virogenic mammalian cells derived from tumours which arose in mice injected with RSV did not give rise to infectious RSV, even when fused with chicken fibroblasts preinfected with three different “helper viruses”.Fusion of four lines of virogenic cells with mammalian fibroblasts as well as of virogenic Chinese hamster cells with chicken liver, mesonephros, thymus and macrophage cells did not lead to the formation of detectable RSV or RSV coat antigen. Similarly, experiments on complementation by mutual fusion of virogenic cells in five different crosses were negative. The presence of a “natural” Gs antigen in the indicator cells is not necessary for RSV rescue because the fusion of cells derived from Gs negative chicken and duck embryos with virogenic cells leads to the formation of infectious RSV.The results are discussed in relation to the specificity of the cells participating in the induction of RSV formation by cell fusion.