Relation between incorporation of 2-thiouracil into tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid and virus inhibition

Abstract

When tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infected tobacco leaves were floated in nutrient solutions containing 2-thiouracil (2-TU), the analog which was incorporated into the virus ribonucleic acid (RNA) was present only as 2-thiouridylic acid; no 2-thiouridine or 2-thiouridine 3′(2′),5′-diphosphate was detected in the TMV-RNA preparations. No differences in TMV-RNA containing 2-TU and normal RNA could be observed on examination in the analytical ultracentrifuge. Significant intercorrelations were found between 2-TU incorporation into TMV-RNA, the loss of infectivity, and reduction in virus yield.