FIG. 7.

H1IT virus fails to persist in vivo. (A) DNA isolated from PBMCs of two rabbits from each group inoculated with lethally irradiated cell lines was tested for viral DNA integration by PCR at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 after inoculation. In contrast to wt HTLV-1, whose sequences were detectable at all time points postinoculation, H1IT failed to productively infect and persist in rabbit PBMCs. Only one of the rabbits inoculated with 729-H1IT showed a transient signal. (B) Rabbit sera were assessed for anti-HTLV-1 antibody response by Western blotting. The representative seroconversion patterns from each of the inoculated groups are summarized. HTLV-1 induced a potent antibody response starting at week 2, whereas the H1IT response was low and transient.