Enhanced detection of Western equine encephalitis virus plaque variants in crowded cultures and plaque progeny--potential use in genetic studies.

Enhanced detection of large-plaque variants of Western equine encephalitis virus in the presence of large numbers of small-plaque Western encephalitis virus was achieved by using higher bicarbonate concentrations in the agar-overlay medium and increasing concentrations of CO(2) in an enclosed environment during the time plaques were developed with neutral red. By this technique we were able to detect large-plaque mutants in cloned small-plaque suspensions for the first time and to show an increase in detectable plaque progeny in plaques developed by neutral red. Further increase in the number of progeny per plaque was determined by assaying extracts of agar overlaying cultures containing known numbers of plaques. The significance of these findings for potential use in mutational studies is discussed.