Electron microscopic observations concerning the action of some aromatic compounds on the morphology of Sendai virus.

The interaction between Sendai virus and some fluorescent aromatic compounds with reactive chemical groups ( a vinyl-sulfonic and an isocyano naphthalic acid derivative) leads to alterations of the surface and inner structure of virus corpuscles. The intensity of the changes depends on the type of reactive group. No such morphological changes were induced by 1-amino-2-anthraquinone-sulfonic acid, a compound whose interaction with the virus is exclusively of physical nature.