On the rigidity of RNA in tomato bushy stunt virus

The motional state of RNA in tomato bushy stunt virus, both in the crystalline state and in solution, has been investigated using 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance methods. It has been found that the RNA is highly immobile in the native virus and it is suggested that the lack of a high-resolution X-ray diffraction pattern for either the RNA or the N-terminal regions of the protein coat molecules (Harrison et al. , 1978) is due to static disorder in the crystals. Dynamic disorder has been detected in the virus after treatment with EDTA, which causes a structural change and an increase in particle size.