Brief Communication: Intramitochondrial Bodies in a Human Cell Line Carrying Oncornavirus-Like Particles2

Abstract

Electron-dense particles 80–100 nm in diameter were observed in electron micrographs of mitochondria in transformed mouse fibroblasts and in a human amnion cell line infected with supernatants of a human mammary carcinoma cell culture. Intramitochondrial particles were more numerous in the human cell cultures early after subculture. These particles were morphologically similar to those reported in mitochondria of Rous sarcoma virusinfected cells.

2

Supported by Public Health Service contract NIH-NCI-E-73-3237 within the Virus-Cancer Program of the National Cancer Institute.

Author notes

3

Department of Microbiology, The George S. Wise Center for Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.

4

Department of Electron Microscopy, The George S. Wise Center for Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University.