CONTINUOUS CULTIVATION AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO BOVINE VIRUSES OF CELL LINES DERIVED FROM BOVINE EMBRYONIC TISSUES

Abstract

Two cell lines, one derived from bovine embryo kidney, the other from bovine embryo skin, have been established in continuous in vitro culture. The cells of each line are predominantly of epithelial type in young cultures and become more spindle-shaped in older cultures. The kidney cells have progressed through 45 passages without change in morphology or growth habits, but the skin cells experienced a period of growth recession between the third and seventh passages, followed by the emergence of a new rapidly growing cell type. Each line of cells was shown to support the growth of the virus of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and the agent of coital exanthema of cattle. In each case virus growth was accompanied by degenerative changes leading to death of the culture cells.