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

Abstract

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 μm in length, were bounded by an outer “membrane” and contained beneath this an electron dense repeating structure arranged either as a coil or a series of evenly spaced rings. The morphology and significance of the tubules are discussed.