Human-mouse hybrid cell lines and susceptibility to poliovirus. I. Conversion from polio sensitivity to polio resistance accompanying loss of human gene-dependent polio receptors.

A number of human-mouse somatic hybrid cell lines have been prepared, containing from 3 to 12 human biarmed chromosomes. These lines were susceptible to poliovirus type 1, producing viral yields comparable to those of the human parental cells. A small proportion of the cells of these lines survived the polio infection, and their progeny were solidly resistant to reinfection with the virus. Both sensitive and resistant hybrids produced virus following infection with viral ribonucleic acid, indicating that the cytoplasm of the resistant hybrids was able to support viral multiplication. Viral adsorption studies carried out at 4 C showed that the resistant sublines had negligible ability to adsorb the virus. It was concluded that the hybrid cells became resistant to polio through loss of the human chromosome bearing the gene for the receptor substance.