Spontaneous lymphosarcoma arising in a nude mouse: characterization in vivo and in vitro.

A lymphosarcoma spontaneously arising in a nude mouse and a continuous cell line (NML-1) derived from it are described and compared. The primary tumor and a transplantable tumor line from it were composed of lymphoid cells, with no C-type viral particles seen by electron microscopy. The culture line was composed of cells with morphologic and functional properties of macrophages; budding C-type particles were abundant. The cells in the tumors produced in nude mice by injection of the NML-1 cells also resembled macrophages morphologically rather than lymphocytes; however, by electron microscopy, no C-type particles were seen. The findings suggest some type of in vivo suppression of complete expression of the virus.