Reconstitution of poliovirus

Biological activity and electron microscopy of poliovirus 14S particles obtained from alkali-dissociated procapsids

Highly purified 14S subunit particles were obtained from alkali-dissociated poliovirus type 1 procapsids (naturally occurring empty capsids in poliovirus-infected cells) to compare their morphological and biophysical properties with those of naturally occurring 14S particles. Procapsid-derived 14S particles (PC-14S), like naturally occurring 14S particles, were capable of self-assembly into an empty shell in buffer or extracts from uninfected cells. These empty capsids always exhibited pIs more acidic than those of procapsids but were themselves distinguishable by their respective pIs. Nevertheless, if PC-14S or naturally occurring 14S particles were incubated with extracts made from poliovirus-infected cells, procapsidlike empty shells were formed. This clearly showed that the 14S particle, however obtained, possesses the information to form an empty shell of correct dimensions but of improper conformation, unless a factor present in poliovirus-infected cells is present. With the electron microscope, the PC-14S subunit frequently was seen as a pentagonal structure with a diameter of 20.4 +/- 1.4 nm, a size somewhat larger than expected for a subunit composing 1/12th of the poliovirus surface. Upon self-assembly in vitro, the empty shell formed exhibited a diameter of 29 +/- 1 nm and a wall thickness of ca. 6 to 7 nm. It was necessary to avoid CsCl banding of procapsids in their preparation as this treatment altered both their pI and their sensitivity to alkali dissociation into 14S subunits. The relevance of these findings to the nature and role of procapsids and the requirement for a morphopoietic factor in poliovirus morphogenesis is discussed.

Picornaviral structure and assembly

Images

Structure and infectivity of picornaviral RNA encapsidated by cowpea chlorotic mottle virus protein

Poliovirus and Mengo virus RNA were shown to associate efficiently with cowpea chlorotic mottle virus protein to form pseudovirions. The sedimentation coefficient for the pseudovirions was similar to that of poliovirus, and electron microscope observations showed the Mengo pseudovirions to be similar in size to Mengo virus. Such pseudovirions were infectious and were more resistant to ribonuclease than viral RNA; however, under our assay conditions, their infectivity was about equal to that of viral RNA.