Polyoma pseudovirions. II. Influence of host cell on pseudovirus production.

The type of host cell influenced the relative amounts of pseudovirions and polyoma virions produced. The infection of primary mouse embryo cells resulted in the production of particles that were predominantly pseudovirions. Infection of baby mouse kidney or 3T3D cells yielded mainly infectious polyoma virus. The length of time that infection was allowed to continue also affected the amount of pseudovirions relative to polyoma virions. The longer the viral infection was allowed to proceed, the greater the quantity of pseudovirions produced. Pseudovirion production could be correlated with the fragmentation of host cell DNA to a size of approximately 3 x 10(6) daltons. The fragmentation of host cell DNA was much more extensive in primary mouse embryo cells than in the other cell types.