Virus-polysaccharide interactions: I. An agar polysaccharide determining plaque morphology of EMC virus

Abstract

Wild-type EMC virus produced minute plaques (1 mm at 4 days) on L cell monolayers with an occasional mutant which produced large plaques (8–10 mm at 4 days). A sulfated polysaccharide present in agar inhibited the growth of the minute-plaque former, but had no effect on the large-plaque mutant. In the absence of the agar polysaccharide, the minute-plaque former actually multiplied more rapidly than the mutant. Two other macroanions, polyglucose-SO 4 and heparin, were also inhibitory to the virus that formed small plaques.