Studies on the multiplication of a porcine parvovirus

A porcine parvovirus has been characterized with regard to its replication in foetal porcine kidney cells and certain biophysical properties. Electron microscopy of infected cells at selected times postinfection revealed that porcine parvovirus replication took place within or near a series of granular intranuclear inclusions which may be contiguous with cellular heterochromatin. Developing virions were observed to aggregate into a nucleolar-like amorphous mass which gradually disrupted as cellular integrity was lost. Purified virions were found to have a buoyant density in CsCl of 1.38 g/ml, while 'empty' particles had a buoyant density of 1.29 g/ml. The particle diameter was calculated to be approximately 22 nm.