Conditions for Successful Cultivation of Tumor Cells from Chickens with Avian Lymphoid Leukosis

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Abstract
To determine a suitable source of tumor cells that would readily adapt to in vitro growth, attempts were made to culture lymphoid tumor cells in soft agar from several neoplastic organs from chickens with lymphoid leukosis. Of 10 tumors from 7 chickens, cells from only 2, both from enlarged bursae, were grown successfully. The 2 cell lines were propagated by serial passage for 2 yr in continuous culture. The 2 cell lines grow as single, free-floating cells in suspension. Morphologically they are usually round, .apprx. 8-10 .mu.m in diameter and have the characteristics of lymphoblastoid cells. They propagate to a maximum concentration of .apprx. 1-2 .times. 106/ml and release infective virus of subgroup A to titers as high as 107 TCID[tissue culture infective dose]/ml. Their leukosis/sarcoma virus susceptibility phenotype is C/E. Lymphoid tumors developed on chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) of 10 day old embryonated eggs of the BK line 7 days after inoculation; no tumors developed on CAM from the 15I line.