Effects of pH and ionic strength on precipitation of phytopathogenic viruses by polyethylene glycol

: The effects of ionic strength of the solution (changed by varying NaCl concentrations or buffer molarity) on the precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 were studied on phytopathogenic viruses of different morphology: the isometric red clover mottle virus (RCMV), rod-shaped tobacco mosaic virus, flexuous potato virus X (PVX) and bacilliform alfalfa mosaic virus. With increasing NaCl concentration or buffer molarity up to a certain level (0.1 mol/l), the efficiency of PEG precipitation increased. This relationship did not apply to PVX. The effects of pH on PEG precipitation were studied on RCMV. The efficiency of precipitation increased with decreasing difference between pH of the solution and pI of the virus.