Replication of ovine adenoviruses.

The replication of ovine adenoviruses shows intertypic and intratypic variations, e.g. the extracellular and intracellular virus yield of ORT/111, a strain related to bovine adenovirus type 2, reached its peak 40 to 46 hr postinfection, in contrast to GY/14, a strain classified as ovine adenovirus type 1, which required 52 to 58 hr to reach the highest yield. The replication cycle was not appreciably influenced either by rolling of the tube cultures or the age (between 0 and 7 days) of the supporting ovine cell culture. All the strains under study replicated at 40 degree C more rapidly than at 34 degree C or 37 degree C. There was some intratypic variation in the replication of strains at different temperatures. Ovine adenoviruses replicated well after three consecutive passages in cultured lamb testicle or secondary heterologous cells such as calf kidney, calf testicle or pig kidney cell cultures as well as the MDBK cell line and a cell line from the calf trachea. The tissue spectra of strains showed intratypic variations. As examined by direct immunofluorescence, fluorescing adenovirus antigen appeared first at 8 hr postinfection and wharacter of fluorescence are described.