Mumps Virus-persistently Infected Cell Cultures Release Defective Interfering Virus Particles

Abstract

Summary Two human cell cultures, HEp-2 and L-41, persistently infected with mumps virus, produced small amounts of slowly replicating small-plaque infectious virus and detectable amounts of defective interfering virus particles which were similar to standard mumps virus in polypeptide composition, contained subgenomic size RNAs and interfered with standard mumps virus replication in susceptible cells.