The photoinactivation of an RNA animal virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, with the aid of newly synthesized psoralen derivatives

Abstract

The newly synthesized psoralen derivatives, 4' hydroxymethyl 4,5',8 trimethylpsoralen, 4' methoxymethyl 4,5',8 trimethylpsoralen, and 4' aminomethyl 4,5',8 trimethylpsoralen hydrochloride photoreact with the single-stranded RNA animal virus, Vesicular Stomatitis virus, VSV. This virus is inactivated 10(3) times more effectively by photoreaction with these compounds than when photoreacted with 4,5',8 trimethylpsoralen. Under these conditions the RNA virus remains more than 10(3) times less sensitive to inactivation by these new photoreagents than were two double-stranded DNA viruses, Herpes Simplex type 2 (HSV-2) and Vaccinia. Preliminary evidence for the generality of this result is discussed.