EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON JAPANESE B ENCEPHALITIS WITH THE RADIOACTIVE P(32) 2. INVESTIGATION OF NUCLEIC ACID METABOLISM BY SCHMIDT & THANHAUSER'S MFTHOD IN THE ORGANS, BRAIN AND LIVER, OF MICE INFECTED WITH JAPANESE B ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS

In the previous paper by the same author the nucleic acid metabolism in some organs which was infected by Japanese B Encephalitis was studied by Schneider's method. Some detailed study by Schmidt & Thanhauser's method on this problem was further undertook and is going to be reported here. P(32) was used as the tracer throughout this investigation and was injected intraperitoneally into the mice at the acme stage of infection. After the time intervals of 6 and 24 hours were collected certain quantities of brain, which were then fractionated by Schmidt & Thanhauser's method into DNH- and RNA- fractions These nucleic acid fractions were investigated on their P(32) contents. By comparing the results with those obtained from the control references made by treating the healthy mice with P(32) in the same way, an increase in P(32)-activity was recognized at the DNA-fraction of the brain, this indicating the fact that, when mouse is infected with the virus, the DNA-fraction of the brain suffers a marked change. Similar investigation was also carried out at the incubation period. In this case, however, an increase in the P(32)-activity was observed at the DNA and PNA-fraction of the liver collected from the mice infected with the virus. It is fully interesting that this increase in P(32)-activity shows intimate accordance with the visceral phase of the disease.