The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 102, 677-697,
Copyright, 1955, by The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research New York
EVIDENCE FOR GENETIC INTERACTION BETWEEN NON-INFECTIOUS AND INFECTIOUS INFLUENZA A VIRUSES
Samuel Baron M.D.1 and
Keith E. Jensen Ph.D.1
1 From the Department of Epidemiology and Virus Laboratory School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Influenza virus rendered non-infectious by ultraviolet irradiation retained ability to "exchange" genetic traits with related virus, resulting in recombined forms. Sedimentation studies indicated association of recombinining activity with particles approximately the size of influenza virus. Genetic activity was not demonstrated when virus was more severely disrupted in attempts to observe phenomena analogous to bacterial transformation. Irradiated virus was also shown to remain capable of genetic exchange for at least 4 days after inoculation into embryonate eggs. In contrast infectious virus becomes insusceptible to genetic exchange after 1 hour incubation in eggs. The importance of this delayed recombination phenomenon to processes of virus evolution and influenza strain variation was discussed.
Submitted on August 3, 1955