EVIDENCE FOR REPLICATION OF BOVINE LEUKEMIA-VIRUS IN B-LYMPHOCYTES

Abstract

Bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes from a cow with persistent lymphocytosis were separated on nylon wool columns into nylon-adherent and nonadherent populations. Nylon-adherent cells were highly enriched for surface immunoglobulin (SIg) bearing B [bone marrow-derived] lymphocytes (95.5%) and nonadherent cells for SIg negative non-B cells, presumably T [thymus-derived] lymphocytes (96.3%). The B lymphocytes were the major producers for bovine leukemia virus. A total of 39% of the B-enriched cells, surviving after 72 h in culture, produced bovine leukemia virus as compared with 0.5% of the non-B cells.