RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Fynan, Ellen F. A1 Ewert, Donald L. A1 Block, Timothy M.YR 1993 T1 Latency and reactivation of Marek’s disease virus in B lymphocytes transformed by avian leukosis virus JF Journal of General Virology, VO 74 IS 10 SP 2163 OP 2170 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-74-10-2163 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB The physical and biological state of the Marek’s disease virus (MDV) genome in avian leukosis virus (ALV)-transformed cells is characterized using cell lines established from ALV tumours co-infected with the SB-1 strain of MDV. The MDV genome within the ALV-transformed cells was found to be methylated at 5′ CpG 3′ dinucleotides. Less than 2% of the tumour cells expressed MDV antigen and only one virus plaque that was characteristic of an MDV infection was noted when tumour cells were cocultured with fibroblasts permissive for a productive MDV infection. However, when methylation of the MDV genome was prevented by culturing the tumour cell lines in the presence of 5-azacytidine, both MDV antigen expression and viral replication increased. Based on these results, it appears that MDV resides within the ALV-transformed cells in a latent state and that MDV latency might be influenced, to some extent, by methylation of the MDV genome., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-74-10-2163