Crystal formation of swine vesicular disease virus in porcine kidney cells (IB-RS-2 cells).

Crystal formation of swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV) in IB-RS-2 cells was studied by electron microscopy. Cells were harvested 0, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6 and 7 hours after inoculation. Crystalline arrays of SVDV was first observed in the cytoplasm of a few cells 4.5 hours after inoculation. In the cytoplasm of many cells harvested at 5 hours, 1 to 3 crystalline arrays of SVDV were observed. After that, a small number of cells had crystalline arrays in the cytoplasm. The cells with crystalline arrays were rich in ribosome and polysome with dilated mitochondria and many tiny vesicles. An individual virus particle was ca. 18 nm in diameter, and the center-to-center space ca. 22 nm. Crystalline arrays varied in size depending on the plane of section.