Abortive infection of mumps virus in murine cell lines.

Infection of L929 or BW5147 cells with mumps virus was shown to result in an abortive type of infection in that little or no progeny virus was produced. Both cell lines could adsorb mumps virus, indicating that restricted viral growth in these cells was not attributable to the absence of mumps virus receptors. Using [35S]methionine-labelled virus, it was demonstrated that restriction of virus growth in BW5147 cells was due in part to inefficient virus penetration into the cells. Virus-specific polypeptides were synthesized in mumps virus-infected L929 cells but were not detected in infected BW5147 cells. After addition of actinomycin D or anti-interferon serum to the cultures, mumps virus was able to replicate in L929 cells, whereas no virus growth was apparent in BW5147 cells.