The use of vesicular stomatitis virus (visna virus) pseudotypes to demonstrate visna virus receptors in cells from different species

Abstract

Superinfection of visna virus (VV)-infected cells with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) resulted in the formation of a pseudotype virus population containing a VSV genome within a VV coat [designated VSV (VV)] as determined by plaque reduction neutralization with antisera to VSV and VV. These VSV (VV) virions were capable of infecting cell cultures from a number of species that were nonpermissive for VV alone. Limited propagation of VV in some mammalian species would thus appear to be due to an intracellular restriction rather than to absence of VV receptors.