Inactivation of human cytomegalovirus by sodium periodate oxidation.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), oxidized by sodium periodate (NaIO4), is incapable of giving rise to viral progeny in cell culture. At a NaIO4 concentration as low as 5 mM, there is a loss of at least 6 logs of viral infectivity which occurs very rapidly (less than 5 min). Further, the inactivation is a first-order reaction depending on the periodate concentration. Adsorption to the cell surface, penetration into cells, and penetration of the viral DNA into cell nuclei were found to occur identically in mock oxidized and oxidized HCMV. Since the carbohydrate moiety of viral glycoproteins was the target of periodate attack, these observations strongly suggest that the structural integrity of the sugar residues is not a prerequisite for adsorption and penetration. Nevertheless, no evidence for viral DNA or protein synthesis was detected in cells infected with oxidized virus, and even after 3 weeks in culture, no cytopathic effect was observed.