The effect of a mesogenic and a lentogenic Newcastle disease virus strain on Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cells

The destructive effect of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains on Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cells was investigated. Interaction of an active and UV-inactivated mesogenic strain (Roakin), as well as an active attenuated lentogenic strain (B1), grown in the allantoic sac of embryonated eggs, at high multiplicity, caused inhibition in cellular DNA synthesis and arrest in cell multiplication, eventually killing of the cells. The lentogenic strain cultivated in chicken fibroblasts exhibited only a moderate activity. The mechanism of the cytolytic effect is presumably linked to the increase in cell membrane permeability indicated by the elevation in⁵¹Cr release. Thus it appears that the massive adsorption and/or penetration of viral particles, active or UV-inactivated (or possibly a toxic component that resides in the virion), damages the plasma membrane and may be responsible for the killing of the cells.Abbreviations CEF chicken embryo fibroblasts - NDV Newcastle disease virus - B1 attenuated lentogenic NDV strain B1 V-188 - RO mesogenic (medium virulent) NDV strain Roakin/46 V-109 NJ - CEF-B1 B1 cultivated in CEF - RO-IRR UV-irradiated RO - m.o.i. multiplicity of infection - EID ₅₀ median egg-infective dose - PBS phosphate-buffered saline