Conditions for successful cultivation of tumor cells from chickens with avian lymphoid leukosis.

To determine a suitable source of tumor cells that would readily adapt to in vitro growth, attempts were made to culture lymphoid tumor cells in soft agar from several neoplastic organs from chickens with lymphoid leukosis. Of 10 tumors from 7 chickens, cells from only two--both from enlarged bursae--were grown successfully. The remaining 8 tumors failed to propagate. The two cell lines thus established have been propagated by serial passage for more than two years in continuous culture. The two cell lines grow as single, free-floating cells in suspension. Morphologically they are usually round, about 8-10 microns in diameter, and have the characteristics of lymphoblastoid cells. They propagate to a maximum concentration of about 1-2 X 10(6)/ml and release infective virus of subgroup A to titers as high as 10(7) TCID/ml. Their leukosis/sarcoma virus susceptibility phenotype is C/E. Lymphoid tumors developed on chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) of 10-day-old embryonated eggs of the BK line 7 days after inoculation, whereas no tumors developed on CAMs from the 15I line.