Inactivation of RNA Viruses by Gamma Irradiation: A Study on Mitigating Factors

Effective inactivation of biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) pathogens is vital in order to study these agents safely. Gamma irradiation is a commonly used method for the inactivation of BSL-4 viruses, which among other advantages, facilitates the study of inactivated yet morphologically intact virions. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Viruses 2016-07, Vol.8 (7), p.204
Main Authors: Hume, Adam J, Ames, Joshua, Rennick, Linda J, Duprex, W Paul, Marzi, Andrea, Tonkiss, John, Mühlberger, Elke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
biosafety
BSL-4
Ebola virus
gamma irradiation
Gamma Rays
Gene Expression
Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics
La Crosse virus
measles virus
Recombinant Proteins - genetics
vesicular stomatitis virus
Vesiculovirus - genetics
Vesiculovirus - radiation effects
Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics
Virus Inactivation
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Summary:Effective inactivation of biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) pathogens is vital in order to study these agents safely. Gamma irradiation is a commonly used method for the inactivation of BSL-4 viruses, which among other advantages, facilitates the study of inactivated yet morphologically intact virions. The reported values for susceptibility of viruses to inactivation by gamma irradiation are sometimes inconsistent, likely due to differences in experimental protocols. We analyzed the effects of common sample attributes on the inactivation of a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the Zaire ebolavirus glycoprotein and green fluorescent protein. Using this surrogate virus, we found that sample volume and protein content of the sample modulated viral inactivation by gamma irradiation but that air volume within the sample container and the addition of external disinfectant surrounding the sample did not. These data identify several factors which alter viral susceptibility to inactivation and highlight the usefulness of lower biosafety level surrogate viruses for such studies. Our results underscore the need to validate inactivation protocols of BSL-4 pathogens using "worst-case scenario" procedures to ensure complete sample inactivation.
ISSN:1999-4915
1999-4915
DOI:10.3390/v8070204