N. F. Stanley

The Association of Murine Lymphoma with Reovirus Type 3 Infection.

Summary Suspensions of spleen cells from a mouse with late chronic infection (272 days) with reovirus type 3 produced a lymphomatous neoplasm; the tumor was easily passaged by the IP route to newly-born mice of the same strain.

A preliminary investigation of the ecology of arboviruses in the Derby area of the Kimberley region, Western Australia.

A survey of mosquito populations in the Derby area of the Kimberley region, Western Australia, in March/April of 1977 yielded a total of 3,318 adult female mosquitoes. Fifteen taxa were represented, seven being new locality records for this area. Culex annulirostris was the dominant species, comprising 85.41% of the total catch. All mosquitoes collected were processed for virus isolation and thirteen strains of four (and possibly five) distinct arboviruses were obtained, all from pools of Culex annulirostris. These viruses include Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River, Wongal, an untyped non-haemagglutinating member of the Koongol group and a virus which reacts to polyvalent antisera against the Anopheles A and B groups. With the exception of Ross River, all these viruses had been previously isolated from the Ord River Valley, some 500 km to the north-east. Comparison of virus isolations in the Ord Valley and Derby supports the suggestion that both sites share a common viral flora. Both also display an exceedingly high overall isolation rate (approximately 20% for Cx. annulirostris pools). Such comparisons suggest that a number of arboviruses transmitted by Cx. annulirostris are active throughout the Kimberley region and have peak isolation rates at the end of the wet season. Further studies are needed to fully define these viral cycles.

The Association of Murine Lymphoma with Reovirus Type 3 Infection The Development of Neoplasia in an Animal Suffering from Chronic Reovirus 3 Disease

Summary The development of a thymic lymphoma 4261/T in a mouse suffering from the chronic reovirus type 3 disease is reported. Transplantation of the tumor resulted in macroscopic lymphoma masses in the kidneys and/or jaw area. Low levels of reovirus antigen were found in the early transplantation passages. Antibody to reovirus was not detected in tumor-bearing mice from these passages. Mice from transplantation passages 12 and 13 showed evidence of reovirus type 3 infection with concomitant production of complement-fixing antibody to reovirus. Tests for reovirus in subsequent transplantation passages have proved negative. There has been no evidence to date for association of murine leukemia virus with lymphoma 4261/T.

Studies on a Murine Lymphoma induced by Reovirus Type 3: Some General Aspects of the Lymphoma 2731/L.

Summary Preliminary studies on a murine lymphoma induced by neonatal infection with reovirus type 3 are reported. In the mature animal, the lymphoma has a restricted host range while in the neonate such restriction does not operate. The development of lymphoma is associated with the intact primitive living lymphoblastic cell which has a definite storage time. All attempts to isolate a murine leukemia virus have proved unsuccessful as have attempts to locate complete infectious reovirus type 3. The organ distribution of the lymphoma and some associated immuno-logical features are discussed with consideration of a possible relationship to Burkitts African lymphoma.

Adult Mortality After Neonatal Thymectomy in a Marsupial, Setonix brachyurus (quokka)

Summary The lifespan of the quokka, a small marsupial, was shown to be markedly reduced after neonatal thymectomy, but this was not associated with the development of a wasting syndrome. The normal lifespan of intact animals is more than 10 years; however, most neonatally thymectomized quokkas died before 3 years. We thank Messrs. W. Evans, L. Smallacambe, G. Benwell, W. Bartbolomaeus, and M. Price for animal husbandry, and Mr. N. A. Campbell for statistical advice.

The Apparent Transition of a Reovirus 3 Specific Antigen in Maurine Lymphoma 2731/L from an Antigenic to a Haptenic Form and the Intracellular Location of the Hapten in the Murine Lymphoma

Summary Cell fractionation studies on 2731/L lymphoma cells and the use of these for the production of antisera have shown that a reovirus 3 “antigen” present initially may have undergone a transition into a complex haptenic form during the course of successive transplantation passages. The complex hapten is fully antigenic for the rabbit and using this property, it has been shown to reside in light mitochondrial and microsomal fractions of the 2731/L lymphoma. It is suggested that the hapten is in fact associated with the polyribosomes/microsomes of the lymphoma. The results are discussed with respect to the viral etiology of Burkitts lymphoma.