Application of the critical point dried whole cell technique to the study of animal rhabdoviruses.

The critical point dried (CPD) whole cell technique was applied to the study of the morphogenesis and morphology of rabies virus and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in mouse neuroblastoma and baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. With the stereoscopic technique, progeny viruses at the cell surface and within the cytoplasm of the CPD whole cells were clearly visualized. The presence of many fine cellular processes and of virus budding from these processes were prominent features of the infected cells. Long strings of virus particles and virus apparently fused into different forms were often seen; a possible mechanism for the formation of these aberrant forms is discussed. Negative staining of the CPD whole cells clearly revealed the detailed structure of virus particles in the process of budding.