Improved infectivity of reassembled polyoma virus

Polyoma virus was dissociated into capsomeres (18, 12, and 5S) and a DNA-protein complex (48S) with the Ca2+ chelator, ethyleneglycol-bis-N,N'-tetraacetic acid, and the reducing agent, 2-mercaptoethanol. The reaction was maintained at pH 5.0. Reassembly of the dissociated components to complete virions was accomplished by dialyzing these components overnight at 4 degrees C against the reassembly buffer containing CaCl2, dimethylsulfoxide, Triton X-100, and 0.01 M Tris-acetic acid (pH 5.0). Reconstructed particles ranged from 240S complete virions to lighter intermediate species. Approximately 25% of the dissociated particles could be physically reassembled to complete virions. These virions regained 12.5% of their hemagglutination ability and as much as 6.7% of their original infectivity. The infectivity of these reassembled particles represented a 100-fold increase in infectivity compared with that of the particles that were dissociated and reassembled at pH 7.4. Biochemical analysis showed that the polyoma viral receptor of the virions reassembled at pH 7.4 was greatly reduced, whereas virions reassembled at pH 5.0 retained their receptor. Reassembly could be further improved by additions of either exogenous capsomeres or DNA-protein complex to the reassembly reaction mixture.