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[Electron microscopy demonstration of fibrillar structures in the foot-and-mouth disease virus]
Archiv Fur Experimentelle Veterinarmedizin
|January 1, 1975
Abstract:
Purified FMD virus was heat treated and then examined by electron microscopy with the negative contrast technique. Fibrils of varying length and thickness were present; they were not present after ribonuclease treatment. They were similar to the fibrils described for other picornaviruses. Viral RNA was the essential component of these artificially arranged fibrils, which were composed of threads about 10 A wide, separated from one another by a gap of about 10 A.
Insights
Heat treatment of Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus revealed viral RNA fibrils. These structures, similar to other picornaviruses, were absent after ribonuclease treatment, confirming RNA
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Microscopy
Context:
- Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus (FMDV) is a significant pathogen in livestock.
- Picornaviruses, including FMDV, possess a ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome.
- Understanding viral structure is crucial for developing control strategies.
Purpose:
- To investigate the structural components of purified FMD virus after heat treatment.
- To characterize the morphology and composition of heat-induced viral structures.
- To compare observed structures with those of other picornaviruses.
Summary:
- Purified FMD virus underwent heat treatment and subsequent examination via electron microscopy using negative contrast.
- The study observed the formation of fibrils, varying in length and thickness, which were absent following ribonuclease treatment.
- These fibrils were identified as artificially arranged structures primarily composed of viral RNA, with constituent threads approximately 10 Å wide and separated by a similar gap.
Impact:
- Confirms the essential role of viral RNA in the formation of heat-induced fibrillar structures in FMDV.
- Provides insights into the self-assembly properties of viral RNA, relevant to picornavirus structural biology.
- Contributes to the fundamental understanding of viral morphology and nucleic acid behavior under stress conditions.