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The oncornavirus maturation process: quantitative correlation between morphological changes and conversion of genomic
Intervirology
|January 1, 1976
Summary
Avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) maturation involves virion morphological changes and genomic RNA conversion. These processes occur in parallel, with rapid early maturation and a slower rate over time.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) is an oncogenic retrovirus.
- Understanding viral maturation is crucial for controlling viral infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the kinetics of AMV maturation.
- To correlate morphological changes with genomic RNA conversion during AMV maturation.
Main Methods:
- Harvesting AMV from chick leukemic myeloblasts at various time points.
- Analyzing virion morphology using electron microscopy.
- Quantifying genomic RNA conversion from 30-40S to 60S forms.
Main Results:
- AMV maturation involves a transition from immature (lucent center) to mature (dense nucleoid) virions.
- This morphological change is tightly correlated with the conversion of 30-40S genomic RNA to 60S RNA.
- Early maturation shows high turnover (31-40% mature in 3.5 min), with the rate decreasing over 17 hours.
Conclusions:
- AMV maturation is a coordinated process involving both virion structure and genomic RNA.
- The rate of AMV maturation is rapid initially and slows significantly over time.