Electron microscopy of a porcine adenovirus

Abstract

SYNOPSIS A virus isolated from the pig and showing characteristics of an adenovirus has been examined by electron microscopy in both the purified state and in tissue culture cells. The virus is icosahedral in shape, has 252 capsomeres per capsid, and is characteristic of the adenovirus group. Examination of infected cells shows that the virus is predominantly intranuclear but virus has also been demonstrated in the cytoplasm. The cellular relationships characterise the adenovirus as more likely to be a member of the sub‐group containing types 3, 4 and 7 than that containing type 5. The virus is closely associated with the chromatin of the nucleus, in which parallel densely staining fibres have been demonstrated. Other structures with a rectilinear profile have been observed which have dense cores, evidence of a helical component and loci resembling the spheroidal form of virus. The first report of the isolation from a pig of a virus resembling an adenovirus was made by Haig et al. (1946): the results of serological tests indicated that the virus possessed the adenovirus group antigen but there was no neutralisation against several of the commoner human adenoviruses; the cytopathic changes in tissue culture were of the type described for the sub‐group of human adenoviruses types 3, 4 and 7. This paper records an electron‐microscope study of the morphology of the virus, the changes in infected tissue‐culture cells and the micro‐ecology of the virus.

The fine structure of the intestine and hind gut of the larva of Trichinella spiralis

“…These are believed to be crystalline ribonucleoprotein similar to the structures observed by Morgan et al (1957) in adenovirus-infected cells. Chandler, Haig & Smith (1965) also noted similar structures in cells infected with porcine adenovirus, but not in uninfected cells. It is suggested that these crystalline structures are evidence of a latent virus infection in Trichinella spiralis.…”

Filamentous Structures of Type 2 Herpesvirus hominis Infection of the Chorioallantoic Membrane

“…Whether filamentous structures observed with a variety of other animal viruses are actually morphologically identical or have a similar mechanism of formation is difficult to ascertain. Filamentous structures have been noted with several poxviruses (18, 24, 30), Shope fibroma virus (2), mouse cytomegalovirus (28), vesicular stomatitis virus (25), rabies virus (15), polyoma and Killam rat viruses (5, 10), and porcine and human adenoviruses (3,12,18). Filamentous structures have also been observed with several other herpesviruses or herpesvirus-like agents: equine abortion virus (1, 26), avian infectious laryngotracheitis virus (33), and Lucke frog renal adenocarcinoma agent (8, 14, 32, 34).…”

Some characteristics of three porcine adenoviruses

“…Porcine adenovirus strain 25R was examined in detail by electron microscopy (Chandler, 1965;Chandler et al, 1965), and was shown to be ieosahedral in shape with 252 capsomeres per capsid. Examination of infected cells showed that the virus was predominantly intranuclear.…”