The fibers of fowl adenoviruses

Purified virions from 14 strains of fowl adenoviruses (FAV) representing 11 serotypes were examined by electron microscopy. Pentons of all strains turned out to have two projections at their penton bases. It is shown that the double fibers also protrude from the intact virion. The length of both fibers was measured on free pentons and is given for each serotype. Double fibers seem to be a common feature of FAV. The serologically unrelated Egg Drop Syndrome (EDS) avian adenovirus strain 127 was confirmed to have single fibers only.