Long-term cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts transformed by the Schmidt-Ruppin strain (D) of Rous sarcoma virus.

Attempts have been made to keep in vitro, for extended periods of time, cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts transformed by the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus, subgroup D. Roller cultures of transformed chick cells kept in serum-deficient medium can be maintained without subcultivation for up to 6 months. The confluent cultures continuously release viruses and viable tumor cells into the medium. The released cells can be plated and have characteristics of growth and morphology which are relatively stable with time until the culture degenerates. Cells released at later stages of the culture produced substantially more viruses than those released earlier, suggesting that cell selection or differentiation occurs during long-term cultivation in low serum concentration. Long-term cultures of untransformed chick embryo fibroblasts can also be maintained in the same way. The release of viable cells by these confluent cultures, however, is negligible.