| Abstract: | Data are presented which show that bromegrass mosaic virus has a particularly low molecular weight and nucleic acid content. A molecular weight of 4.6 × 106 was calculated from the sedimentation coefficient, S°20,w = 86.2S, the diffusion coefficient, D20,w = 1.55 × 10-7 cm2/sec., and an assumed partial specific volume, UNK] = 0.708 ml/gm. The virus has a ribonucleic acid content of 1.0 × 106 atomic mass units. Electrophoresis experiments showed that the virus is stable in 0.10 ionic strength buffers in the pH range 3-6. Breakdown of the virus was observed outside this pH range. Some characteristics of the breakdown products are described. |
