INACTIVATION OF VIRUSES AND CELLS BY MUSTARD GAS

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Abstract
The action of mustard gas on 6 animal, 1 plant, and 2 bacterial viruses; also on bacteria, yeast, and the pneumococcus-transforming principle, has been studied. The viruses include the Newcastle disease of chickens, equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern strain), feline pneumonitis (Baker), rabbit papilloma (Shope), fixed rabies, rabbit myxoma, tobacco mosaic, T2 r+ phage of Escherichia coli B, and a Staphylococcus muscae phage. The cells include baker''s yeast, E. coli B, S. muscae, and swine plague bacillus. The rates of inactivation of the viruses and cells were of the same order of magnitude and faster than those of enzymes. Of the viruses examined those containing desoxyribose nucleic acid were inactivated faster than those containing ribosenucleic acid. Prepns. of the pneumococcus-transforming principle which were largely desoxyribose nucleic acid have shown the greatest sensitivity to mustard gas of all systems examined. An expression was derived describing the inactivation rate when mustard gas decreases during the expt.