Analysis of inactivation of AcMNPV under various conditions by the ELVA method.

Inactivation of baculoviruses was examined under various conditions by ELVA, which enzymatically labels the virus envelope with radioisotopes and detects the labeled viruses by host cell-specific binding. When baculoviruses were incubated in a 50-ml culture tube, they rapidly lost infective ability by more than 75% of the initial titer in 2 h even at an insect cell cultivation temperature of 27 degrees C. Altering pH from neutral significantly decreased the virus titer. Repetition of freezing and thawing of baculovirus solutions decreased the virus titer, but the addition of DMSO and glycerol prevented inactivation to some extent.