Mitogen induction of murine C-type viruses. I. Analysis of lymphoid cell subpopulations.

We reported previously in vitro induction of endogenous C-type viruses from normal mouse spleen cells by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well as by combination treatment with concanabalin A and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (Con A/BrdU). To identify the cell types sensitive to virus induction and to study the relationship of mitogenicity to virus induction we have compared T cell populations (BALB/c thymus cells and cortisone-resistant thymus cells), B cell populations (nu/nu spleen cells and lymph node cells), adherent BALB/c peritoneal cells and mixed populations (BALB/c spleen cells, macrophage-depleted BALB/c spleen cells, and lymph node cells). LPS-induction occurred only in B cell-containing populations. In contrast, induction by Con A/BrdU depended on the presence of both T and B cells. In both instances, neither macrophages nor hemopoietic cells appeared to be a major source of virus. Treatment with anti-Ig serum and complement reduced virus induction by LPS/BrdU but not by Con A/BrdU suggesting that different cell populations produce virus after stimulation with these two different mitogens.