Establishment of a Cell Line From an Inbred Mouse Strain for Viral Transformation Studies: Simian Virus 40 Transformation and Tumor Production

Summary

A cell line was established from embryonic cells from the inbred AL/N mouse strain. This line of predominantly epithelial-like cells was designated as AL/N and found sensitive to transformation by simian virus 40 (SV40). Two sublines of epithelial and fibroblast-like morphologies were obtained from the parental line and designated as AL/N-E and AL/N-F cells, respectively. The former was more sensitive to SV40 and could be used for quantitative transformation assays. Neither SV40 transformed nor normal AL/N cells produced tumors when inoculated into syngeneic mice. However, transformed cells produced tumors in thymectomized and X-irradiated syngeneic animals. In transplantation-resistance tests, AL/N cells transformed in vitro by SV40 were shown to possess the transplantation antigen.