A Comparative Study on the u.v. Resistance of Double-stranded and Single-stranded Encephalomyocarditis Virus RNAs: Evaluation of the Possible Contribution of Host-mediated Repair

To reveal previously suggested host-mediated repair of u.v.-induced lesions in dsRNA of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus, two sets of experiments have been carried out: (i) samples of dsRNA of EMC virus were irradiated with different doses of u.v. light and their infectivity was assayed in krebs II cells, before and after conversion of dsRNA into a ss form: (ii) samples of ssRNA of EMS virus were similarly irradiated and their infectivity was assayed before and after conversion of ssRNA into a ds form. No evidence for a significant host-mediated repair of dsRNA in this virus-cell system has been obtained.