Use of Immunofluorescence for Detection of Specific Membrane Antigen in Simian Virus 40-Infected Nontransformed Cells

Abstract

Two kinds of immune hamster sera were compared in indirect immunofluorescence tests with the live cells of tumors induced by simian virus 40 (SV40). Both behaved similarly in all positive and negative control systems. The presence of specific-membrane cell antigen in SV40 tumor cells was confirmed. The dynamics of specific-membrane cell antigen in human- and hamster-embryo tissue-culture cells after. infection with SV40 was studied with the immunofluorescence test. One hour after infection, membrane cell antigen was demonstrated in human cells. Six hours after infection, immunofluorescence indexes in both types of cells almost reached the maximum and did not change significantly during the subsequent days of observation. Inoculation of adult hamsters with SV40-infected, morphologically nontransformed cells (10–12 days after infection) induced resistance in recipients to challenge with SV40 tumor cells, though the immunizing material contained no detectable amount of virus or SV40 morphologically transformed cells.