Electron Microscopy of Monkey Kidney Cell Cultures Infected with Rubella Virus

Abstract

Two rubella virus strains isolated in this laboratory were investigated in terms of their growth in LLC-MK2 cell cultures and their effect on cell morphology. Rubella virus grew readily in LLC-MK2 cells, but cytopathic effects of the virus were not observed in infected cultures. Such infected cultures can be subcultured indefinitely and continue to shed virus. Examination of rubella-infected cell cultures by electron microscopy showed the presence of annulate lamellae in the cytoplasm of 15% of the cells. No changes were evident in the nuclei. These membranous inclusions varied in complexity from parallel arrays of annulate lamellae to large lamellar structures of complex morphology. An occasional cell contained a crystal lattice structure in association with the lamellae. Larger inclusions, consisting of disorganized arrays of "unit" membranes, were also found. Uninfected cells were devoid of annulate lamellae, crystals, and complex membranous inclusions. No viruslike particles were observed in any part of the cells from infected cultures. The significance of the structures observed has not been determined.

Morphogenesis of the membranous labyrinth in penaeid shrimp cells infected with Penaeus monodon bacuiovirus (MBV)

“…The formation of the ML occurs slightly earlier than the appearance of occlusion bodies and virion maturation. These findings are in many respects very similar to the formation of ML in the BPinfected penaeid shrimp cells (Couch 1989)-In a variety of other viruses, infections are associated with the formation of cytoplasmic membranous structures, such as the annulate lamellae (Kim & Boatman 1967;Patrizi & Middlekamp 1970;Merkow, Slifkin, Pardo & Rapoza 1970) and multivesicular bodies (Russo, Franco & Martelli 1987). In addition to the appearance ofthe ML in baeulovirus BP-and MBVinfected shrimp cells, studies of insect baeulovirus also indicate that dense bodies and a network structure appear in the cytoplasm of infected cells during the viral DNA replication (Gouranton 1972).…”

Cytoplasmic Tubular Structures in Liver of HBsAg Carrier Chimpanzees Infected with Delta Agent and Comparison with Cytoplasmic Structures in Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis

“…These structures have been termed undulating tubules, tubular arrays, and tubular aggregates (11). In some cases, the undulating tubules were detected in cells infected with a variety of RNA or DNA viruses and were considered to be virusassociated (12)(13)(14)(15)(16). In addition, the undulating tubules have been described in a number of different cultured HEPATOLOGY cell lines derived from cancerous or noncancerous human tissue (17,18).…”

Viral Appropriation: Laying Claim to Host Nuclear Transport Machinery

“…These structures have also been observed to accumulate during infection with viruses like hepatitis A virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and rubella virus. However, the role of annulate lamellae during viral infection has largely remained elusive [123,124,125,126].…”