PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF AVIAN REOVIRUS AND ITS NUCLEIC ACID

Avian reovirus grown in monolayer cultures of chicken kidney cells was partially purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex column gel filtration. The partially purified virus separated into three or four distinct bands by equilibrium density gradient centrifugation in CsCl. The main band, with a density of 1.381 g/ml, was found to contain mainly complete virus particles on electron microscopic examination and contained also infectious particles. The viral RNA extracted with the sodium dodecyl sulfate-phenol method from purified virus, had a complementary base composition, i.e. the ratio of purine to pyrimidine was unity, and the molar per cent of guanine plus cytosine was 42.3%. Thermal denaturation of the RNA in 0.01 M Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.0, containing 5×10-3M NaCl and 10-4M EDTA gave a sharp thermal transition and a high melting temperature (92° C). The RNA resisted treatment with formaldehyde and was more resistant to ribonuclease digestion. These results suggested that the RNA of avian reovirus is double stranded. © 1968 Springer-Verlag.