Demonstration of biological activity of a murine leukemia virus of New Zealand black mice.

Although New Zealand Black mouse embryo and adult tissues show evidence of murine leukemia viral particles and antigens, efforts to demonstrate biological activity of a murine leukemia virus by standard methods have proved negative. Cocultivation of tissues of these mice with non-virus-yielding hamster cells transformed by Moloney sarcoma virus, however, has resulted in the rescue of a pseudotype sarcoma virus, presumably carrying the New Zealand Black mouse leukemia virus coat. This virus has an unusual host restriction, producing foci of cell alteration only in rat cells.