This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pagano, J. S. Articles by Vaheri, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pagano, J. S. Articles by Vaheri, A.

Factors Influencing the Enhancement of the Infectivity of Poliovirus Ribonucleic Acid by Diethylaminoethyl-Dextran

^a Departments of Medicine and Bacteriology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

ABSTRACT

The enhancement by diethylaminoethyl-dextran (DEAE-D) of the infectivity of poliovirus ribonucleic acid (RNA) for cell cultures was demonstrated by infective-center as well as by plaque assays, both in nonprimate (L) and primate cell systems (MK, HeLa, LLC-MK₂). The sensitivity of plaque assays was greatly improved by using a tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-buffered synthetic medium (basal medium Eagle) and freshly confluent cell monolayers. Enhancement of nucleic acid infectivity was directly dependent on the molecular weight of the DEAE-D. Two observations bearing on the action of DEAE-D appeared important: ribonuclease activity was reduced by DEAE-D, and cells pretreated with DEAE-D remained susceptible to infection with RNA in isotonic medium. Appreciable susceptibility of the treated cells persisted for at least 2 hr; the susceptible state could be reversed at will by an application of heparin. Enhancement of nucleic acid infectivity was independent of an effect of DEAE-D on intact virus and agar inhibitors.

¹ Departments of Medicine and Bacteriology.

² U. S. Public Health Service Postdoctoral Trainee (AI 000-45), Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine.

³ Present address: Orion Oy, Helsinki 10, Finland.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Nuanualsuwan, S., Cliver, D. O. (2003). Infectivity of RNA from Inactivated Poliovirus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 1629-1632 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Boucher, D. W., Melnick, J. L., Mayor, H. D. (1971). Nonencapsidated Infectious DNA of Adeno-Satellite Virus in Cells Coinfected with Herpesvirus. Science 173: 1243-1245 [Abstract]