Immune stimulation of sensitized chicken lymphocytes by avian retrovirus proteins.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes of chickens bearing tumours induced by avian sarcoma virus can be specifically stimulated to divide by the crude culture fluids of virus-infected cells. In this communication, we show that relevant antigenic activity apparently resides in each of the internal virus proteins p15 and p27. The ability of infectious culture fluids to be mitogenic for sensitized lymphocytes is greatly reduced following treatment with antibodies specific for either total avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) protein or for p27.