PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON HERPESVIRUS

Abstract

Smith, Kendall O. (Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Texas). Physical and biological observations on herpesvirus. J. Bacteriol. 86:999-1009. 1963.-The development of herpesvirus in human lung fibroblasts was studied by plaque assays and physical particle counts. Approximately 200 infectious units and 60,000 particles were produced by single cells during a single growth cycle. Production of physically recognizable particles preceded infectious virus particle production by about 5 to 6 hr, suggesting the occurrence of a maturation process during formation. Aggregation of particles in clusters and chains was observed in many cases. One of the mechanisms for this aggregation was the connection of particles by deoxyribonucleic acid strands. These strands appeared to connect some particles in a way that suggests a structural continuity between their cores.