Physicochemical and physical properties
Virus particles sediment as two centrifugal components: T, made up of non-infectious
protein shells that contain a small amount of RNA (primarily subgenomic coat protein
mRNA) and B, composed of intact nucleoprotein particles. Sedimentation coefficients
(Sw20) of component T and B range from 42 to 55 and from 109 to 125, respectively.
Buoyant densities in CsCl of component T and B are 1.26-1.28 g/cm3 and 1.40–1.46 g/cm3
respectively. Virions resist high temperatures (thermal inactivation point is 60–65 °C up
to above 80 °C for some tymoviruses) and organic solvents, but are disrupted by SDS