Structure and Development of the Herpes-Type Virus of Marek's Disease<xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN2">2</xref>

Abstract

Chicken kidney cultures infected with eight different strains of Marek's disease were investigated with the electron microscope for virus. The cultured cells were epithelial in nature and a typical herpes-type virus was found after infection with each strain; no virus was present in uninoculated control cultures. In each case the virus was morphologically indistinguishable, with hexagonal immature particles in both the nucleus and cytoplasm; the virus matured by budding at the nuclear envelope and cytoplasmic vacuoles to form larger mature particles. In negative-contrast preparations the capsid structure and surface configuration of the immature particles were also typical of the herpes group of viruses. Virus-infected cells showed characteristic cytopathological changes including sheaves of altered spindle tubules. The significance of a herpes-type virus in an animal lymphoma is discussed relative to the herpes-type EB virus associated with the Burkitt lymphoma.