DENSITY AND SIZE OF INFLUENZA VIRUS A (PR8 STRAIN) IN SOLUTION

Abstract

Virus A (PR8 strain) was obtained from virus-infected chorioallant, fluid of chick embryos and dispersed in Ringer-CaCl2 soln. Bovine albumin soln. was added and the sedim. rates of the virus were measured in an air-driven ultracentrifuge with a Lamm scale optical system. Albumin did not cause signif. change in the sedim. rate over 2.5 hrs. The relat. between sedim. rates and density of albumin solns. was found to be linear. The limiting density of the solvent was 1.104. The particle radius was then computed to be 57.7 m[mu]. This is slightly larger than that found from electron micrographs.