Chemical Modification of the Lysine-Amino Groups of Potato Virus X

Abstract

SUMMARY Potato virus X reacted with reagents commonly used for protein amino groups, and some of its properties were changed. 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid, pyridoxal-5-phosphate and methyl picolinimidate altered its absorption spectrum; the last two altered its fluorescence spectrum, and the first two altered its electrophoretic mobility. These reagents did not necessarily inactivate the virus; preparations judged to contain two modified amino groups per protein subunit retained 50 to 100% of their initial infectivity. This supports the previous conclusion that PVX-Q, an infective product of PVX and an oxidized leaf phenol, contains modified lysine ε-amino groups.