Two particle types of avian infectious bronchitis virus.

Two distinct types of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) particles were isolated on sucrose density gradients. The higher density particles banded at 1.18 g/ml, had typical coronavirus morphology and contained all the structural polypeptides and a complete genome. The less dense particles of density 1.13 g/ml appeared to have typical coronavirus morphology, although they were much more flattened than the more dense particles. Furthermore, these particles lacked the ribonucleoprotein polypeptide and the genome, although all the other polypeptides were present in the same amounts as in the denser particles.