Principles of selective inactivation of viral genome. V. Rational selection of conditions for inactivation of the viral suspension infectivity to a given extent by the action of beta-propiolactone.

The influence of the initial concentration of beta-propiolactone, the composition of the solution, temperature, and pH on the bacteriophage MS2 infectivity inactivation kinetics has been studied. Rate constants have been determined for the infectivity inactivation and for the change in the concentration (the consumption) of the reactant under inactivation conditions. These constants have been shown to permit a sufficiently precise description of the phage MS2 survival curves under the action of beta-propiolactone. These data have been used to put forward a kinetic approach for the rational determination of conditions for inactivation of the viral infectivity to a required extent with agents whose concentration decreases during inactivation as a result of hydrolysis and reactions involving the medium components.