Possible Role for Water and Inositol in the Structure of Nucleoproteins

Abstract

IT has been shown^1–7 that inositol will preserve the viability of bacterial cells and virus particles subjected to partial desiccation in aerosols. Previous experiments have shown also that the protective action of this compound relies on its ability to replace the water molecules removed from the microbe during desiccation. Since the microbe was found to die only when the water ‘bound’ to cell components was removed, it was suggested that hydrogen bonds formed between the cell components and water were largely responsible for maintaining the integrity of these components. Because of its structure, inositol was assumed to act as water during periods of desiccation and hence maintain the essential configuration of the cell components. Later investigations indicated that the cell component destroyed by desiccation was the ribonucleic acid and experiments with Rous sarcoma virus showed that inositol could protect this virus against inactivation during desiccation in aerosols.