Characterization of two density populations of feline calicivirus particles.
Feline calicivirus (FCV) F9 strain was propagated in Crandall-Reese feline kidney cells. Two density populations of viral particles were observed after equilibrium centrifugation in an isopyknic CsCl gradient. The buoyant density of the heavy particle (PH) is 1.33 g/ml. The light particle (PL), a previously undescribed form of feline calicivirus, has a buoyant density of 1.22 g/ml. The PH and PL presented a similar morphology by electron microscopy. Western blot showed that both PH and PL contained a major polypeptide of the typical FCV capsid protein with a molecular weight of 62,000. Infectivity assay and RNA isolation demonstrated that PH is the intact infectious virion while PL is FCV empty capsid.
Zhou
L
L
Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
Yu
Q
Q
Luo
M
M
D000818:Animals; D017927:Calicivirus, Feline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002213:Capsid / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002415:Cats; D002460:Cell Line; D002500:Centrifugation, Isopycnic; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*