ROTATIONAL EFFECTS IN QUASI-ELASTIC LASER-LIGHT SCATTERING FROM BACTERIOPHAGE-T-EVEN

We have applied a theory of dynamic light scattering from large anisotropic particles, developed by Aragón and Pecora [J. Chem. Phys. 66, 2506–2516 (1977)] to calculate the scattering expected from T‐even phage models. The results indicate that the off‐center rotation of the massive virus head with respect to the center of frictional resistance introduces significant rotational contributions to the light‐scattering time autocorrelation function. The effect is particularly important when the fibers of the phage are extended. Reanalysis of previously published data [J. B. Welch III and V. A. Bloomfield, Biopolymers 17, 2001–2014 (1978)], taking into account rotational corrections, confirms the equality of molecular weights of the slow‐ and fast‐sedimenting forms of T2L bacteriophage. Copyright © 1979 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.