Summary
Purified preparations of polyoma virus have been studied with the electron microscope employing the technique of negative staining. Use has been made of the aberrant tubular forms of the virus in order to determine the capsomere number in the normal particle. Scale geodestix models have shown that tubules corresponding in diameter to normal particles yield an apex which is based on a 32 subunit icosahedron. Tubules based on a 42 subunit icosahedron are significantly wider than the normal particle. Similarly, tubules based on a 72 subunit icosahedron are considerably wider than the normal spherical particle, and, in addition, possess pitch characteristics which are absent in tubules closely related in diameter to normal particles. It is concluded that a 32 subunit structure for polyoma virus cannot be ruled out.
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Lecatsas, G., Mallucci, L. Capsid structure in polyoma virus. Archiv f Virusforschung 37, 340–350 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01241457
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01241457