Unusual Intranuclear Tubular Structures Associated with the Maturation of Herpesvirus saimiri in Monkey Kidney Cell Cultures

Abstract

Summary.-Unusual intranuclear tubules have been observed in cultures of both African green monkey and owl monkey kidney cells infected with Herpesvirus saimiri; the material was studied in thin sections with the electron microscope. The tubules were seen in about 10% of virus-containing cells at the stage when the virus matured by budding at the nuclear membrane, measured 160-180 nm in diameter and up to 3 6 ,um in length, were bounded by an outer " membrane " and contained beneath this an electron dense repeating structure arranged either as a coil or a sehles of evenly spaced rings. The morphology and significance of the tubules are discuosed.

The Herpesviruses

“…These results, taken together with the lack of change in VCA titers after tumor onset and the lack of difference in the antibody titers to other viruses (HSV, CMV, measles) between pre-BL and control sera, made high VCA titers in pre-BL sera a unique feature bringing epidemiological evidence of causal association between EBV and BL development in Uganda. Such epidemiological evidence is consistent with the experimental data showing that EBV can immortalize human B lymphocytes in vitro and induce lymphomas in vivo in certain New World primates (Epstein et al, 1973; epidemiological data reinforce evidence obtained through clinical and experimental studies, there is no alternative but to interpret the results of the prospective Ugandan study as offering further critical evidence of a causal relationship between EBV and BL. Some questions remained: Why were VeA titers alone and not antibodies to EA and EBNA elevated in pre-BL sera?…”

“…The fact that this virus exhibited in vitro transforming activity on human and simian B lymphocytes (immortalization) and was able to induce in vivo lymphomas in some New World monkey species (Epstein et al, 1973; further favors the hypothesis that this virus represents the oncogenic agent of BL. But direct demonstration could be obtained only by epidemiological means, either by studying the sequence of events that occurs between primary infection and tumor development or by successful antiviral intervention resulting in the prevention of the tumor.…”

“…Disseminated lymphoproliferative disease has been described in one EBV-inoculated owl monkey (M.A. Epstein et al, 1973). Neither squirrel monkeys nor woolly monkeys develop tumors when injected with cell-free virus or autologous transformed cells Andiman and Miller, 1978).…”

“…Some of the proliferating cells have the potential to be grown as continuous cell lines, a property that normal, uninfected lymphocytes lack (W. Henle et al, 1967;Pope et al, 1968a,b;. Studies with other viruses and with EBV have shown a link between growth transformation in vitro and oncogenic potential in vivo Epstein et al, 1973;Deinhardt et al, 1975). Therefore, the mechanism by which EBV enhances the replication of cells in vitro has also been a focal point of EBV research.…”

Unusual Membranous Structures Found in Cells Infected with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Maintained in Media Containing 2‐Deoxy‐D‐Glucose

“…3d) . Morgan et al (3,4) and Tralka et al (8) reported other kinds of abnormal membranous structures in cells infected with herpesvirus saimiri. The structures are, however, clearly different in detailed structure and dimension from those reported here.…”