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J Bacteriol. 1965 December; 90(6): 1632-1637
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Thermostabilization and Thermosensitization of Herpesvirus

World Health Organization International Reference Centre for Enteroviruses, Department of Virology and Epidemiology, Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

ABSTRACT

WALLIS, CRAIG (Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.), AND JOSEPH L. MELNICK. Thermostabilization and thermosensitization of herpesvirus. J. Bacteriol. 90:1632–1637. 1965.—Herpesvirus, long considered as one of the most thermolabile of viruses, was stabilized by 1 M Na₂SO₄ or Na₂HPO₄ so that it withstood heating at 50 C, but the virus was not protected by 1 M MgCl₂, MgSO₄, or KH₂PO₄, or 2 M KCl or NaCl; 1 M Na₂SO₄ also stabilized herpesvirus at 25 and 37 C. In contrast, herpesvirus was made extremely thermosensitive in the presence of isotonic salt concentrations or of isotonic tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer, especially at pH 7.2 or above. Partially purified virus was relatively thermostable when suspended in distilled water at pH 7.2, but in Earle's salt solution the virus immediately became thermosensitive. As found in tissue culture harvests, herpesvirus was thermolabile, but the virus was rendered stable at 50 C by simple dilution in distilled water. Protection by proteins or amino acids, generally accepted as virus-stabilizing agents, did not seem to be the result of a direct effect upon herpesvirus. The present data suggest that the added proteins counteract in part thermosensitizing effects of the salts contained in the virus harvest.