In vitro transforming activity of EBV. I-Establishment and properties of two EBV strains (M81 and M72) produced by immortalized Callithrix jacchus lymphocytes.

In vitro transformation of Callithrix jacchus marmoset lymphocytes was achieved with a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) derived Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strain, HKLY-28. Two permanent and virus producing lymphoblastoid cell lines, M81 and M72, were obtained. Comparison between the original HKLY-28 line and both M81 and M72 lines showed that passage in the marmosets lymphocytes greatly enhanced viral production and transforming activity of the virus as observed in cottontop derived B95.8 lymphoblastoid line.