Cytoplasmic inclusions induced by tobacco etch virus (TEV), potato virus Y (PVY), pepper mottle virus (PMV), bidens mottle virus (BiMV), and turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) as well as the resp. viruses were purified from infected tissue and their constituent proteins investigated.A procedure is described for the simultaneous purification of virus and its associated inclusions.Electron microscopy of the purified inclusion preparations revealed structures characteristic of those seen in situ for each virus and are described as laminated aggregates shaped as triangles for TEV and as rectangles for BiMV, as scrolls for PVY and PMV, and as scrolls and laminated aggregates shaped as triangles for TuMV.Polyacrylamide electrophoresis of the cytoplasmic inclusions in 0.1% Na dodecy sulfate (SDS) revealed 1 protein component with an estimated mol. weight of 67,000 for PVY; 67,400 for PMV; 69,300 for BiMV; 69,600 for TEV; and 70,300 for TuMV.SDS electrophoresis of the viral coat proteins revealed anomalies, dependent in part on the history of the purified virus.Mol. weights of viral coat protein were estimated to be 26,000 and 32,000 for TEV; 28,000 and 34,000 for PVY; 28,000 and 34,000 for PMV; 28,000 and 33,000 for BiMV; and 27,000 and 36,000 for TuMV.Electrophoresis using different acrylamide gel concentrations and cellulose acetate support medium suggested that the larger of the 2 mol. weights estimated for each viral coat protein was a charge isomer.
