Replication of a strain of feline calicivirus in organ culture.

The zwitterionic buffer HEPES was used successfully to maintain organ cultures of kitten tongue and trachea for 10--15 days in vitro. A strain of feline calicivirus grew to high titres in both tongue and tracheal explants but it was not possible to ascribe specific histological changes to virus infection in either tongue or tracheal organ cultures. Cells in tongue explants retained specific virus receptors for at least six days in vitro and virus grew to high levels in the cultures infected six days postinitiation of explants. These results suggest that at least some strains of feline caliciviruses have tropism for lingual epithelium as well as respiratory tract tissues.