Prevalence of non-T-cells in the replication of the N-tropic, type C virus of young AKR mice.

The XC infectious center assay was used to study the nature of the lymphoid cells producing N-tropic C-type viruses in preleukemic AKR mice. Viral production by thymic cell suspensions was very low and was possibly due to contaminating cells. Production at least 100-fold higher was found in spleen cells and was probably due to non-T-cells. The significance of these results is discussed briefly, including the possibility that the N-tropic XC syncitia-inducing type C virus of young AKR mice is not the leukemogenic agent.