PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ISOLATE OF APPLE MOSAIC-VIRUSFROM ROSE IN THE USA

An isolate of apple mosaic virus, designated ApMV-J, was isolated from rose cv. Sweet Surrender in New York State, USA. Mechanical transmiss ion of ApMV-J from rose to cucumber was facilitated by preparing inocu la with 0.03 M sodium phosphate buffer containing 0.02 M 2-mercaptoeth anol and 1 % polyvinylpyrolidone. Catharanthus roseus cv. Little Linda was a good virus maintenance host and Cucumis sativus cv. Lemon a goo d propagation host. Contaminating host proteins were substantially red uced by including polyethylene glycol in the purification protocol. Pu rified virus had high A260/280nm values and contained virus particles of c 25-26 nm in diameter; most particles were isometric but a few wer e bacilliform. The M.Wts. of the four nucleic acids of ApMV-J, determi ned in non-denaturing and denaturing agarose gels, were estimated at 1 .16, 0.98, 0.68 and 0.35 x 10(6) and 1.0, 0.91, 0.66 and 0.35 x 10(6), respectively. The viral coat protein M.Wt. was estimated to be 27 kDa .