Disintegration of retroviruses by chelating agents

Exposure in vitro of various mammalian retroviruses to the chelating agents EDTA or EGTA in millimolar concentrations resulted in partial disintegration of viral membranes as measured by accessibility or even release of reverse transcriptase, an internal viral protein, without any other treatment usually required. Among the viruses responding to chelators were mammalian type C viruses, primate type D viruses and bovine leukemia virus. The effect was dose-dependent. The avian type C virus AMV, however, was found to be not susceptible to the agents. Rauscher mouse leukemia virus treated in vitro with EDTA or EGTA showed reduced infectivity in mice. The results are considered as evidence for some association of divalent cations with membranes of mammalian retroviruses. The disintegrating activity of EGTA suggests that Ca2+ is an integral constituent of viruses but Mg2+ may also be involved. These cations seem to be responsible for maintaining integrity of retroviral membranes which, after chelation of ions, are either disrupted or become permeable for the exogenous template of reverse transcriptase. In addition, the disintegrating activity of trifluoperazine may indicate that a calmodulin-like protein occurs in retroviral membranes.