FIG. 6.

Sedimentation analysis of particles harvested from supernatants of CHO-ME cells transfected with in vitro-synthesized NdΔME replicon RNA. Particles were precipitated with polyethylene glycol and applied to a 10 to 50% sucrose gradient. The protein E concentration of individual fractions (open circles) was determined by SDS-ELISA. The presence of replicon RNA in individual fractions was assessed by a semiquantitative RT-PCR and is shown as a percentage of the total from all of the fractions (open diamonds). Control gradients loaded with purified preparations of RSPs and wild-type TBE virus were analyzed in parallel (peak fractions indicated by arrows).