Cytochemistry of Inclusion Bodies in Tissue Culture Cells Infected with Rabies Virus.

Abstract

Summary The cytoplasmic inclusions present in rabbit endothelial and hamster kidney fibroblast cells, chronically infected with CVS rabies virus, can be stained green or red by acridine orange and are colored red by methyl green pyronin. These staining reactions do not appear to be caused by the presence of nucleic acids in the inclusions. RNA, which is sensitive to digestion with RNase, is stained by toluidine blue and toluidine blue-molybdate (Method C) in the inclusions. The inclusions appear to contain viral anti-genic protein and small amounts of RNA. The authors wish to thank Christine J. Merrick and Oksana Bohachevsky of Jefferson Medical School, and Jean McClure, The Wistar Institute, for valuable technical assistance.