Growth of measles virus in cultures of rat glioma cells.

The interaction of measles virus with RG-6 cells derived from rat glioma was investigated. When a culture of RG-6 cells was infected with measles virus, the synthesis of viral antigens was detected in very few cells, at most 5%. The apparent resistance to measles virus infection was also repeatedly found in all of the subclonal cells derived form RG-6 cells. Although all of the virus-synthesizing cells had the ability to form plaques on Vero cells, they produced only a reduced amount of infectious virus, i.e., 0.1 plaque-forming units per cell. These results imply the existence of some mechanism that regulates growth of measles virus in cultures of RG-6 cells. The transmission of genetic material of measles virus from infected RG-6 cells to Vero cells was not inhibited in the presence of antiviral serum. This fact may provide a basis for interpretation of the persistence of virus, in the presence of antibody, in patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.