Bovine enteric coronavirus structure as studied by a freeze-drying technique.

A strain of bovine coronavirus (F15) was studied by electron microscopy using a freeze-drying technique. Purified coronavirus preparations show three different categories of image: (i) 'blackberry-like' virions, (ii) virions with a smooth depression at their surface, and (iii) apparently broken particles showing very clearly the areas of spike insertion in the virus membrane. Virus projections resemble 'mushrooms' with the 'stalk' inserted at the virus membrane. A model of the virion structure is proposed.