Replication of feline sarcoma virus in cat embryonic kidney cells in the absence of transformation.

The infection of cat embryonic kidney cells (CRC) with Gardner and Snyder-Theilen strains of feline sarcoma viruses (Ga-FeSV and ST-FeSV) do not lead to transformation and focus formation. The focus forming insusceptibility is shown to be stable and nontransmissable property of these cells. However, the CRC cells are permissive for ST-FeSV, and the viral production is 10 to 100 folds lower than in focus forming susceptible cat cells. Produced ST-FeSV(c) by CRC cells induced on cat embryonic cells FE in higher proportion round and fusiform (rf) foci and fusiform(f) foci. The f foci were not previously observed in original stock of ST-FeSV tested directly on FE cells. Attempts to detect some differences in morphology or in growth behavior between ST-FeSV infected and non-infected CRC cell population gave negative results.