Use of high-performance size-exclusion chromatography for the separation of poliovirus and subviral particles

The size-dependent separation of viral and subviral particles in the range 10(5)-10(7) daltons was undertaken by high-performance liquid chromatography. A combination of Ultrahydrogel 2000 and 1000 size-exclusion columns, equilibrated and developed with Tris buffer (pH 7.4), was used to fractionate extracts of cells infected with radiolabelled poliovirus. Poliovirions (30 nm) and subviral particles (20 nm) were separated according to size with full retention to their biological activities. Procapsids (same size as virions, but devoid of RNA) could not be separated from virions. Sample recoveries as determined with radiolabelled material constantly exceeded 70%. The method was successfully applied to the separation of viral and subviral particles from complex mixtures.