Presence of protein at the termini of intracellular adenovirus type 5 DNA.

Adenovirus type 5 contains linear double-stranded DNA with protein covalently attached to the ends of the molecules. The presence of protein at the termini of intracellular viral DNA in adenovirus type 5-infected cells was investigated at different stages during the replication process. The intracellular viral DNA was isolated from the nuclei by lysis in 4 M guanidine hydrochloride. Electrophoresis on agarose gels of HsuI restriction enzyme fragments and sucrose gradient centrifugation were used to detect protein on intracellular viral DNA. After uncoating parental DNA still contains protein attached to the termini of the viral genome. Replicating and mature progeny viral DNA can also be isolated in the form of DNA-protein complexes. These complexes exhibit the same properties as the DNA-protein complex isolated from purified virions. These results suggest that the protein at the termini of intracellular viral DNA is identical to the protein attached to the 5'-ends of the DNA extracted from virions and that it is possibly involved in the replication of viral DNA.

Purification and electron microscopy of lactic dehydrogenase virus of mice.

Lactic dehydrogenase virus (LDV) was purified from infectious ascites fluid of mice bearing Ehrlich tumours using Sepharose gel filtration and rate zonal and isopycnic sedimentation. In glycerol gradients, a sedimentation coefficient of about 200S and a buoyant density of 1-14 g/ml was determined for the virus particle. Spherical particles with diam. between 62 and 80 nm, depending on the method of fixation and staining, have been identified electron microscopically. The virus particle consists of a spherical nucleocapsid wrapped into a double-layered envelope. The nucleocapsids, isolated by treatment with NP40 and purified by centrifuging on sucrose gradients had a sedimentation coefficient of 176S. Electron micrographs show spherical particles with a diam of 35 plus or minus nm. Classification of LDV as a member of the togaviridae family is discussed.