HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Adolph, K. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Adolph, K. W. Agricola Articles by Adolph, K. W.

Structural Transitions of Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus

Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, U.K.

Particles of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) underwent an abrupt structural transition as the pH was raised to near pH 6.75. At low ionic strength (I = 0.2) the transition was observed as a decrease from 83S to 73S in the sedimentation coefficient of the virus particle. At high ionic strength (I = 1.0) the virus disassembled to components sedimenting at about 40S. These observations suggest a structural role for the RNA in maintaining virus stability. As ionic strength at pH 7.5 was increased, a critical point was reached (I = 0.4) at which the virus disassembled to the 40S aggregates. The effect of raising the temperature of both unswollen and swollen virus was to gradually, but substantially, reduce the sedimentation coefficient.

Received 6 February 1975; accepted 10 March 1975.