Abortive infection of L cells by influenza virus: absence of virion RNA synthesis.

Influenza virus multiplies productively in chick cells and abortively in L cells. The infecting influenza virus RNA genomes are less stable in infected L cells than in infected chick cells. However, transcription of the virus genome in L cells, while reduced in rate, is not decreased in extent. There is no detectable synthesis of virion RNA in L cells, and this is the most likely cause of the abortive infection.