particle to pfu ratios

[ryan at mbcf.stjude.org]

In article <enkemans-2607951617480001 at 128.231.219.168>, 
enkemans at dc37a.nci.nih.gov (Steven Enkemann) writes:

>    There is also a third underlying cause for the discrepency between the
> measused number of virions and the number of plaque forming units.  That
> is the difficulty of initiating the infectious process itself.  A virus is
> very tiny.  During the course of an infection it must initiate a series of
> virally directed biochemical reactions at the same time as it usurps the
> biochemical machinery of it's host.  Any biochemical reaction has a finite
> probability of failing.  For a tiny virus, packaging only one or two of
> the components required to initiate an infection, this becomes a form of
> 'Russian Roulette'.  If the initial reactions fail, or the components
> required for that reaction never meet because they became lost within the
> vast sea of the host, the viral infection fails.
> 
> Steven A. Enkemann PhD.


Hi Steven,

would you predict that bigger viruses characteristically have lower
particle/pfu ratios than very small viruses?

Regards, Kevin.
-- 
--
       	==========================================
	Kevin W. Ryan
	Department of Virology & Molecular Biology
	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
	Memphis, Tennessee 38101-0318, U.S.A.
	
	phone: (901) 495-3411
	fax:   (901) 523-2622
	Internet: ryan at mbcf.stjude.org
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