Aggregation of enterovirus small plaque variants and polioviruses under low ionic strength conditions.

Virion aggregation in low ionic conditions was observed with small plaque variants of Coxsackievirus type B3 and Echovirus types 4 and 11 by sedimentation and filtration methods. Inclusion of salts or DEAE-dextran into the media prevented or reversed virion aggregation. The effect of pH on aggregate formation in low ionic strength solutions was also investigated with various strains of poliovirus. Type I Sabin strain formed aggregates even at high pH, while Mahoney strains did so only below pH 6.5. Type 2 virus, Sabin and MEF1 strains, and type 3 virus, Sabin, Saukett and Suwa strains, showed an intermediate behaviour between the two type 1 strains, except MEF1-LB strain, a clone obtained from MEF1 strain under acidic overlay, which showed little tendency to aggregate. These results were compared with the degree of the d character of the strains. Besides the effect of inhibiting virion aggregation, the inclusion of DEAE-dextran into a sucrose gradient slowed the sedimentation of some of the viruses in low ionic strength solutions.