Abstract
The lipids of two paramyxoviruses, NDV-B1 and Sendai virus (propagated in ovo), were analyzed by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography. Both viruses had relatively large amounts of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine and relatively small amounts of sphingomyelin and lecithin. Analysis of fatty acid methyl esters revealed that Sendai virus had 50% more unsaturated acids than did NDV, whereas long-chain saturates accounted for 40% of the total fatty acids of the NDV envelope. Glycolipids were detected in both viruses; in the case of NDV, these were hydrolyzed and the sugars characterized by gas-liquid chromatography. Galactose, mannose, and glucose were present in molar ratios of 7:1:1, and the glycolipids were tentatively identified as ceramide hexosides. It is suggested that changes in polar groups and acyl chains of viruses propagated in homolog membranes are determined by structural proteins of the viral envelope. Differences in fatty acyl chain composition and to a lesser extent, polar groupings, may account for the pleomorphism and other biological properties of lipid-containing viruses.
Published Version
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