Purification and separation of enveloped and unenveloped herpes simplex virus particles

Enveloped and unenveloped forms of herpes simplex virus (HSV) occurring in infected rabbit lung (ZP line) cells were purified by differential and discontinuous Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. Then the viral particles were separated in a sucrose-D2O density gradient. In the course of the procedures, both virus preparations were freed of Mg2+-dependent Na+ plus K+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), 5'-nucleotidase, and glucose-6-phosphatase activities. However, Mg2+ -activated ATPase was shown to be firmly associated with purified virions. The recovery of infectious virus was 50-60 percent. The specific infectivities (TCID50/mg protein) of the purified enveloped and unenveloped viral particles were 1-2 times 10(10) and 2-5 times 10(6), respectively. The infectivity of the unenveloped viral particles was discussed.