VIEW ARTICLE

Properties of the Infectious Forms of Exocortis Virus of Citrus. J. S. Semancik, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside 92502, Present address of senior author: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68503; L. G. Weathers, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside 92502. Phytopathology 60:732-736. Accepted for publication 8 December 1969. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-60-732.

Citrus exocortis virus (CEV) can be most efficiently extracted by procedures designed to maintain the integrity of free nucleic acids. The virus is not susceptible to inactivation by DNase. Rate sedimentation experiments suggest the presence of two infectious entities, the major species with a 10-15 S and the minor form with a > 25 S. CEV eluted from methylated albumin-coated Kieselguhr columns in the region of DNA and from CF-11 cellulose in 0% ethanol as is characteristic of double-stranded RNA species. However, attempts to melt the suspected double-stranded structure as well as to observe any resistance to RNase inactivation in a high ionic strength medium have been unsuccessful. Data implicating a possible nucleoprotein-complex constituting the minor > 25 S species are also discussed.