title: Characterization of enveloped tegument structures (L particles) produced by alphaherpesviruses: integrity of the tegument does not depend on the presence of capsid or envelope.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain 17 generates in addition to virions a novel type of non-infectious particle. These particles, termed L particles, lack capsids and viral DNA, and consist predominantly of tegument and envelope proteins. We show that L particle production is not restricted to one strain of HSV-1, and that pseudorabies virus and equine herpesvirus type 1 also release particles which are similar in composition to and morphologically indistinguishable from HSV-1 L particles. Data obtained from monoclonal antibody analysis revealed that Vmw175, an immediate early HSV-1 polypeptide which had been previously identified as a virion component, is located predominantly in L particles and not in virions. Following removal of the envelope from L particles, the remaining tegument material largely retained its structural integrity, indicating that the structure of the tegument does not depend on the presence of the capsid or envelope.
authors.affiliation: MRC Virology Unit, University of Glasgow, U.K.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLauchlan
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rixon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002213:Capsid / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D002460:Cell Line; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008970:Molecular Weight; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012995:Solubility; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins