Morphological components of herpesvirus. II. Preservation of virus during negative staining procedures.

The disruption of envelopes and the fragmentation of capsids of equine herpes-virus type I observed in negatively stained samples were attributed to viral dehydration on carbon films during preparation for electron microscopy. Prior fixation of virus with OSO4 or glutaraldehyde and subsequent application of negative stain before drying minimized envelope disruption and virtually eliminated the occurrence of capsomere sheets and broken capsids. This sample procedure significantly improves electron microscopic evaluation of herpesvirus samples.