Open AccessDNA de l'adénovirus des types 2 et 5, étudié par microscopie électronique
Author(s) -
FRANK H.,
KÖHLER K.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1968.tb00212.x
Subject(s) - dna , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , dna extraction , adenoviridae , biochemistry , polymerase chain reaction , gene , recombinant dna
Adenovirus DNA is liberated quantitatively, only if viral particles are first digested by a protease. Prior research has shown that such DNA has a molecular weight of 23 × 10 6 , under the condition that it is a linear double‐stranded molecule. Considering that the virions of the two types contain 13% DNA, their particle weight could be estimated to be 155 × 10 6 Daltons. Simple addition of the protein constituents and DNA, as far as known, gives only 80 × 10 6 Daltons. In order to find the reason for this incompatibility, we have therefore investigated DNA of the two adenoviruses by electromicroscopy, using the Kleinschmidt technique. We have found that the size of the DNA obtained did not depend on the possible variation of extraction or spreading methods. Storage may cause a slight shortening of the molecules. Type 5 DNA has a length of about 11.7 μ. Type 2 DNA is shown to have the same maximum length in the region between 11 and 12 μ, and a second between 9.3 and 9.9 μ. It can therefore be concluded that the molecular weight of about 20 × 10 6 for the two adenoviruses is correct, and that the determination of the size of the virion has been subject to serious errors.