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THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS CHEMICAL TREATMENTS ON THE ACTIVITY OF THE VIRUSES OF TOMATO SPOTTED WILT AND TOBACCO MOSAIC 1
Author(s) -
BEST RUPERT J.,
SAMUEL GEOFFREY
Publication year - 1936
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1936.tb06126.x
Subject(s) - oxidizing agent , biology , tobacco mosaic virus , virus , anaerobic exercise , oxygen , preservative , methylene blue , food science , horticulture , biochemistry , virology , chemistry , physiology , organic chemistry , photocatalysis , catalysis
SUMMARY A. Tomato spotted wilt virus (All tests made with suspensions buffered at pH. 7)1 The concentration of active virus units in suspensions of tomato spotted wilt virus stored at 0 o C. in a buffer solution of JJH 7 was maintained without loss for 11 hours by excluding free oxygen. 2 A significant fall in the concentration of active virus units occurred in suspensions treated as in (1) but through which air was bubbled. 3 At room temperatures the virus underwent fairly rapid inactiva‐tion even in the absence of free oxygen, although the presence of oxygen hastened the inactivation. The rate of inactivation in the absence of oxygen varied from time to time, and it is concluded that this inactivation was due to the presence in the infective juice of some oxidized substance which is usually present in only small but variable amounts, and that it is reduced by those substances (see (4) below) which arrest anaerobic inactivation. 4 Certain substances added in the reduced form which yield suspensions with an E h value of +0–1 volt or less at pH 7 arrested the normal anerobic inactivation of the virus. The remarkable preservative action of cystein is discussed. 5 The virus was rapidly inactivated in vitro by 0–001 M solutions of oxidizing agents which induced in the suspensions a potential greater than + 0–2 volt at p H 7. With the exception of methylene blue, oxidizing agents which gave a suspension with an E h value below +0–1 volt at pH 7 did not inactivate the virus. 6 The reducing agents referred to in (4) protected the virus against inactivation when exposed to air. This protective effect was not permanent but prolonged the activity of inocula for many hours beyond that of the controls. 7 The effect on the virus of a number of other substances was also examined. Those having greatest interest are: (a) KCN, which in 0–01 M solution protected the virus both against anaerobic and‐ aerobic inactivation. Its probable mode of action is discussed on the bases of experiments reported, (b) HgCl 2 , which in 0.001 M solution caused instantaneous inactivation of the virus, (c) Cathecol, quinol and phenol alone inactivated the virus in the presence of air, but did not do so if Na 2 SO 3 was also present. It is concluded that secondary oxidation products caused the inactivation observed. 8 Attempts to reactivate virus which had been inactivated by exposure to air or by means of HgCl 2 were unsuccessful. 9 It has been shown that the inactivating effects observed are due to an action on the virus itself.