Die Bildung der infektiösen Ribonucleinsäure während der Vermehrung des Tabakmosaikvirus

Abstract
Young plants of Nicotiana tabacum (Var. Samsun) were infected with tobacco mosaic virus and kept at a constant temperature between 23 and 27°C and at constant illumination. The virus concentration was determined by bioassay on Nicotiana glutinosa. An exponential increase in virus concentration occurred 20-30 hours after infection. This latent period is significantly shorter after infection with virus ribonucleic acid. Probably the nucleic acid has to be liberated from the nucleoprotein before multiplication can start. The formation and multiplication of free virus ribonucleic acid could be demonstrated earlier than the formation of the complete virus. Infectious nucleic acid was measured by direct extraction of the plants with phenol. Nucleic acid included in the virus was determined after degradation of the free ribonucleic acid by incubation at 37°C and subsequent phenol extraction. The amount of free ribonucleic acid reaches a maximum 40 hours after infection and decreases afterwards to the extent as the virus bound ribonucleic acid increases. A general hypothesis for the biosynthesis of tobacco mosaic virus is given.