Electron microscopic observations of visna virus-infected cell cultures()

Electron microscopic observations of three cell lines infected with visna virus revealed two types of extracellular particles. The smaller of these was 65–110 mμ in diameter and contained a 20–30 mμ electron-dense core. Ordered arrays of the latter type of particle occurred rarely in the cytoplasm. After cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation of the virus, the band that contained maximal infectivity was composed of numerous particles with osmiophilic cores similar to those found in infected cell cultures. This finding suggests that such particles represent the infective agent. The second type of extracellular particle was larger (100–140 mμ in diameter), lacked an electron-dense core, and contained material similar in appearance to cellular cytoplasm. This form appeared to develop by budding from the cell surface.