FOOT-AND-MOUTH-DISEASE VIRUS-REPLICATION IN BOVINE SKIN LANGERHANS CELLS UNDER IN-VITRO CONDITIONS DETECTED BY RT-PCR

The replication of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) was studied in isolated bovine skin Langerhans cells (LC), in keratinocytes from epid ermal cell suspension, and in migrating LC obtained from cultured bovi ne epidermal sheets in vitro. Viral RNA replication in infected cells was determined by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the negative FMDV RNA strand and by the plaque forming ass ay of FMDV. It was established that bovine skin LC, keratinocytes, and migratory bovine LC infected with FMDV strain 01 Geshur supported vir us replication. This RT-PCR method to detect the negative strand of FM DV RNA in migratory bovine skin LC may be useful for determining FMD v irus replication in tissue cells.