Effect of EDTA on the Infectivity of VEE Virus
Abstract
Although a number of plant viruses are inactivated by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), we have found that this chelating agent stabilizes Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus and other group A arboviruses very effectively over the temperature range 4 to 50 C. In the presence of .005 M EDTA, the infectivity of partially purified VEE virus was maintained in demineralized water with no significant decrease for 3 days at 37 C, 2 to 4 weeks at 25 C, and 3 to 10 months at 4 C; at these temperatures control suspensions without EDTA lost 99.99% of their infectivity in 1 day, 2 to 4 days, and 10 to 30 days, respectively. These results were otained with water or phosphate buffer suspensions only at the optimal pH range of 6.8 to 7.5. This degree of stabilization is comparable to that reported for poliovirus with 1 M Mg++. Although the presence of EDTA is required for consistently successful phenol extraction of infectious RNA (IRNA) from partially purified VEE virus, thermal stabilization of IRNA by EDTA was not observed. Results obtained with density gradient centrifugation and other techniques using C14-labeled EDTA suggest that EDTA does not form a stable complex with Vee virus; chelation of trace amounts of inactivating metal ions may constitute the mode of action.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0864721
Entities
People
- James W. Johnson
- Jo Ann F. Comer
- Ralph F. Wachter