Natural killer cell response to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in beige mice.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) induced low levels of natural killer (NK) cell acitivity in C57BL6 mutant beige (bg/bg) mice, which had previously been reported to have no cytotoxic NK cells. NK cell-mediated lysis by bg/bg splenocytes was observed against a cell line (YAC-1) very sensitive to NK cell cytotoxicity, but not appreciably against a less sensitive cell line (L-929). The bg/bg mutant mice with this very low NK cell activity and control strains of mice (by/+, C57BL6) with high NK cell activity synthesized comparable amounts of virus and interferon in the spleen, suggesting that NK cells may not play a significant role, but not appreciably against a less sensitive cell line (L-929). The bg/bg mutant mice with this very low NK cell activity and control strains of mice (by/+, C57BL6) with high NK cell activity synthesized comparable amounts of virus and interferon in the spleen, suggesting that NK cells may not play a significant role, but not appreciably against a less sensitive cell line (L-929). The bg/bg mutant mice with this very low NK cell activity and control strains of mice (by/+, C57BL6) with high NK cell activity synthesized comparable amounts of virus and interferon in the spleen, suggesting that NK cells may not play a significant role in curtailing viral synthesis before the advent of the specific immune response mechanisms.