Variations in the Properties of Potato Virus X and their Effects on its Interactions with Ribonuclease and Proteolytic Enzymes

Abstract

When concd. by precipitation, potato virus X undergoes aggregation and becomes insoluble although still infective. The insoluble material dissolves slowly when incubated with pH 7.5 borate buffer, or rapidly with trypsin or chymotrypsin, both of which enzymes hydrolyze virus X. Ribonuclease reversibly inhibits infectivity of the virus but does not hydrolyze the active virus, acting only on nucleic acid derived from it.