Ultrastructure of mumps virus replication in organotypic cultures of hamster choroid plexus.

Organotypic cultures of newborn hamster choroid plexus were inoculated with equal titre doses of newly isolated or hamster adapted strains of mumps virus. The ultrastructure of virus replication in choroid epithelial cells of the cultures was compared. No qualitative differences were observed; however, the adapted strain produced significantly greater numbers of virions and earlier destruction of the cultures. These findings are consistent with previous in vivo observations of the ultrastructure of the replication of these strains in the newborn hamster central nervous system. This in vitro study leads further support to the hypothesis that differences in the in vivo biological effects of the virus strains are primarily the result of virus-cell rather than virus-host interactions.