EVIDENCE FOR THE NUCLEIC ACID COMPOSITION OF MEASLES VIRUS
- 1 January 1964
- journal article
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Pediatrics
- Vol. 33 (1) , 71-74
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.33.1.71
Abstract
The in vitro interaction of cultural cells and viruses in the presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (5-BDU) provides a simple indirect assessment of viral nucleic acid composition. The 5-BDU, a thymidine analogue which inhibits cell deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis, interferes with the replication of DNA-containing vaccinia virus but not ribonucleic acid (RNA)-containing poliovirus. The observation that measles virus escapes inhibition by 5-BDU suggests that it is composed of RNA, not DNA. Other characteristics also suggest a close taxonomic relationship with the myxovirus group. Since chemotherapeutic agents may selectively disrupt either DNA on RNA synthesis, knowledge of the nucleic acid composition of a virus seems essential in predicting which agents may be promising for clinical trial. Note Added in Proff: Since this manuscript was submitted for publication there have appeared two other reports on the failure of halogenated deoxyuridines to inhibit either the in vitro cytopathology or multiplication of measles virus.Keywords
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