Concentration of Certain Myxoviruses with Polyethylene Glycol

Abstract

THE concentration of animal viruses in two-phase polymer systems was originally described by Wesslen, Albertsson and Philipson¹, and later by Albertsson² alone. Successful large-scale concentration of picorna animal viruses and several plant viruses^2–4 has been achieved using systems containing polyethylene glycol 6,000 (PEG) and dextran, or PEG and dextran sulphate. Concentration of myxoviruses by this method is complicated by the tendency of these viruses to collect at the interface of the two phases (refs. 1 and 2 and Norrby, E., personal communication, 1966) instead of in the smaller phase. Leberman⁴ recently described the precipitation of two plant viruses and a bacteriophage using PEG alone. The precipitation occurred at sodium chloride concentrations of up to 0.9 molar, and was related to the pH of the suspending buffer. We have applied this method to several viruses of the myxovirus group.