Abstract
Recovery and specific infectivity of infectious RNA from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus of low specific infectivity (14-21 day infections) were greatly improved by using antioxidants during virus purification and RNA extraction, and by disrupting coat protein with pronase before phenol-SDS [sodium dodecyl sulfate] extraction. Total infectivity [on Glycine max] of RNA from virus of low infectivity was increased over 30 times. RNA profiles obtained using polyacrylamide gels were then similar for virus with high (4-7 day infections) or low specific infectivity. Low specific infectivity, therefore, seems to be caused by alteration of the coat protein or of the protein-RNA interaction in intact virus particles.