Author
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Brown, Fred |
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Submitted to: Developments in Biological Standardization
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/21/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells are used for the growth of many viruses. In particular they are used on a large scale for the preparation of FMD vaccines, both as monolayer cultures and suspended cells. Factors involved in their variable susceptibility to FMDV isolates are discussed. In addition, the properties of the cells and their interaction with the virus are described. Technical Abstract: The properties of BHK-21 cells are modified by passage in suspension culture. The suspended cells differ from monolayer cells in the surface expression of some integrin chains involved in attachment of FMDV, in particular the progressive down-regulation of both alpha-5 and alpha-V integrin chains. This down-regulation is correlated with the loss of actin stress fibres. FMDV particles from these cells are unstable towards the aziridine used in inactivating the virus for vaccine production. Moreover, growth of virus in suspended cells can lead to the selection of antigenic variants which differ from those produced in monolayer cells. |
