Reduced Interferon Response in Mice Congenitally Infected with Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

The Lobund Laboratory University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 Congenital or neonatal infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus results in a life-long virus carrier state (Traub, 1936; Hotchin, 1962). In a number of mouse strains, but not in all, this persistent infection may result in a slowly progressing disease. Generally the disease does not manifest itself before the animals are several months old (Hotchin, 1965). A chronic, non-cytopathogenic infection can also be established in mouse cells in vitro . After an initial high virus yield, infected cultures continuously produce virus at a variable but restricted rate, without impairment of cell growth (Lehmann-Grube, Slenczka & Tees, 1969). The chronic virus carrier state of mice may result in altered susceptibility to infection with other viruses, e.g. eastern equine encephalomyelitis (Wagner & Snyder, 1962), Rauscher leukaemia virus (Young & Barski, 1966), polyoma virus (Hotchin, 1962); in other instances susceptibility may not be changed, e.g. yellow fever (Volkert, Larsen & Pfau, 1964) or ectromelia (Mims & Subrahmanyan, 1966). * Supported by U.S.P.H.S. Training Grant No. GM 01248 from the National Institute of Medical Sciences (awarding unit). Received 27 April 1970; accepted 30 June 1970.