Abstract
The growth of feline enteric coronavirus strain 79-1683 in whole feline embryo cells was inhibited by the presence of 1 µg/ml of actinomycin D in the culture fluid. No virus-specific mRNAs could be detected in such cultures and yields of infectious virus were depressed by >99%. By contrast, the antigenically related feline infectious peritonitis virus strain 79-1146 was unaffected by the presence of actinomycin D, indicating a fundamental difference between the two feline coronavirus strains in their requirements for host-encoded function(s).