Characterization of the Drosophila C Virus

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1977-02, Vol.34 (2), p.269-283
• Main Authors: Jousset, Francoise-Xaviere, Bergoin, M, Revet, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Drosophila melanogaster - microbiology; Enterovirus - classification; Insect Viruses - classification; Insect Viruses - isolation & purification; Insect Viruses - ultrastructure; Molecular Weight; Peptides - analysis; RNA, Viral - analysis; Viral Proteins - analysis
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-34-2-269

Station de Recherches de Cytopathologie, INRA-CNRS, 30380 Saint Christol les Alès, France B. Revet Institut de Recherches Scientifiques sur le Cancer, CNRS, B.P. no. 8, 94800 Villejuif, France Some properties of Drosophila C virus (DCV), a non-occluded isometric virus, have been studied. The virus particles were 30 nm in diam., their sedimentation coefficient was 153S and their buoyant density was 1.34 g/ml in caesium chloride in the pH range 7 to 9. These particles contained about 31% ribonucleic acid (RNA) and 69% protein. The reaction of formaldehyde with DCV particles suggested that the RNA in situ is single-stranded. The infectivity of DCV was stable at pH 3. The virus capsid contained three major polypeptides with mol. wt. of 31000, 30000 and 28000, and two minor components of mol. wt. 37000 and 8500. Virus preparations also contained a small number of infective particles 24 nm in diam. banding at a density of 1.44 g/ml. Preliminary results indicated that these heavy particles probably correspond to the dense particles recently reported in several vertebrate picornaviruses. RNA extracted from DCV was single-stranded and infectious. Its mol. wt. was calculated to be approx. 3 x 10 6 . It is proposed that this virus be included in the enterovirus group. The cryptogram of the virus is R/1:3.0/31:S/S:I/O. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Received 6 July 1976; accepted 6 September 1976.