Density Gradient Centrifugation Studies on Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus and on Viral Ribonucleic Acid

Abstract

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus, Traub strain, was purified from BHK-21 tissue culture medium. The virus was then analyzed by equilibrium centrifugation and rate zonal centrifugation in sucrose gradients. A buoyant density in sucrose of 1.18 g/ml was found and the S 20, w value was estimated to be about 470 to 500 S . Furthermore, the 3 H-uridine-labeled ribonucleic acid (RNA) from virus was extracted from LCM virus and analyzed by rate zonal centrifugation. Two major and one minor single-stranded RNA components were found with sedimentation coefficients of 28, 22, and 18 S .