PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF AN AVIAN REOVIRUS

The avian viral agent S1133 was previously classified serologically as a member of the avian reovirus group. This viral agent grows in chicken embryo fibroblast cells, bands at a density of 1.37 g/ml in CsCl equilibrium density gradients, has a particle diameter of 75 nm and has a morphology similar to that of human reovirus type 3. Its nucleic acid is comprised of double-stranded RNA and adenosine-rich oligonucleotides. The dsRNA is distributed among 10 segments with MW 2.7 .times. 106, 2.6 .times. 106, 2.4 .times. 106, 1.7 .times. 106, 1.5 .times. 106, 1.3 .times. 106, 1.2 .times. 106, 0.80 .times. 106, 0.74 .times. 106 and 0.68 .times. 106 for the largest (L1) to the smallest (S4) segment, respectively, as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These 10 segments migrate differently on polyacrylamide gels compared to those of human reovirus type 3. The capsid proteins of avian reovirus consist of 8 species of polypeptides as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These are .lambda.1, .lambda.2, .lambda.3, .mu.1, .mu.2, .sigma.1, .sigma.2 and .sigma.3 with MW of 140, 125, 115, 85, 72, 40, 36 and 32 .times. 103, respectively. Only polypeptide .sigma.2, which resides in the inner capsid or core, comigrated with the .sigma.2 polypeptide of type 3 reovirus. Antiserum against type 3 reovirus did not neutralize avian reovirus. Avian reovirus core particles possessed a transcriptase and a methylase activity.