Effects of methylated albumin on infectious RNA: Reversible infectivity loss and resistance to nuclease digestion

Abstract : It has been shown that methylated bovine serum albumin (MBSA) forms a complex with infectious ribonucleic acid (IRNA) from Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Formation of the complex is reversible, depending upon salt concentration. In physiological concentrations of NaCl, formation of the MBSA-IRNA complex renders IRNA noninfectious in cell cultures and in mice, and inhibits digestion of IRNA by micrococcal nuclease. In molar NaC1, the complex dissociates with concomitant recovery of infectivity and susceptibility of the IRNA to enzymatic digestion. (Author)