Studies on the Production of B1 Coxsackie Virus by Hela Cells

Summary

Studies on the influence of pH, temperature, and the composition of the medium on the production of B1 Coxsackie virus by HeLa cells are reported.

A thousand-fold reduction in virus titers were found in medium adjusted to pH 6.6. The effect of the low pH was reversible by changing the pH of the medium at 6 hr from pH 6.6 to pH 7.4. The low pH had no demonstrable effect on the adsorption or stability of the virus.

Growth curves of B1 Coxsackie virus at various temperatures are reported. Suppression of virus multiplication occurred above and below 36°C with complete suppression occurring at 40°C and 25°C. At these temperatures virus was not released into the medium and the intracellular virus could be ascribed to that adsorbed during the 1-hr period of infection at 36°C.

The effect of composition of the medium was studied. Undialyzed calf serum at 2% concentration supported levels of virus equal to those obtained in Eagle's basal medium. Production of virus by depleted cells was found to require either glucose or glutamine. Glutamine was effective at the concentration routinely employed, whereas, an increase in the concentration of glucose was necessary for the stimulation of maximal levels of virus. The absence of glutamine from the otherwise complete medium reduced the levels of virus to those obtained in a balanced salt solution.