Ultrastructural features of the AIDS virus (HIV) and its morphogenesis

Abstract

HIV particles were usually seen on the surface of established lymphoid cells derived from AIDS patients or on CEM cells infected with HIV, and sometimes in cytoplasmic vacuoles. The virus particles were formed by a budding process from the plasma membrane of an infected cell. The budding particles were of a doughnut form. Various profiles of virus particles were seen extracellularly: type 1 had a bar-shaped, electron-dense core, type 2 had a central and type 3 an eccentric electron-dense round core, type 4 was doughnut-shaped, and type 5 had a layered core. However, projection patterns of the AIDS virus model suggested that type 1, 2 and 3 particles are similar. Therefore, the AIDS virus may be one of three main types: with or without a dense core, and with a layered core. It is thought that a particle with a layered core and a doughnut-type particle may be immature viruses.

The budding of defective human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particles from cell clones persistently infected with HIV-1

“…8 e). An essentially similar phenomenon was also observed previously in cultures of lymphocytes from AIDS patient [31]. Our results are also consistent with the earlier observation by high voltage electron microscopy (M. Yoshida et al, unpubl, data).…”

Inner architecture of human and simian immunodeficiency viruses

“…For example, the diameter, the envelope, the electron lucent halo, and the process of viral surface vary among the three immunodeficiency viruses (Imura et al, 1988;Imura, 1989). However, some features such as the lateral body and the specifically shaped core are highly homologous among these viruses (Hockley et al, 1988;Nakai et al, 1986Nakai et al, , 1989Palmer et al, 1985 and also homologous with other members of the Lentivirinae.…”