Interference Induced in GL-V3 Monkey Kidney Cells by Rabies Virus Strains

Resistance to superinfection with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) occurred in GL-V3 monkey kidney cells infected with the CVS-11, Pitman Moore, LEP Flury, but not the ERA strain of rabies virus. Specific immunofluorescent staining of intracellular rabies antigen showed that the number and size of fluorescent foci increased after the onset of interference, and that this was paralleled by increasing yields of infectious virus. Although CVS-11 and ERA differed in their ability to induce interference, the virus yields from monolayers infected with either strain were similar. Interference apparently had no effect on the replication or dissemination of the inducing virus, and seems unrelated to the long incubation period or aberrant forms of infection in vivo.