Morphogenesis of vaccinia virus in the process of envelopment as observed by freeze-etching electron microscopy.

The morphogenesis of vaccinia virus was studied during its synthesis in HeLa cells. Freeze-etching electron microscopy demonstrated intramembrane granules attached to convex faces, a granule-free area characterized by eccentric location and smooth appearance, and an eccentric nucleoid structure occasionally associated with a membranous structure. It is postulated that the granule-free area may be a precursor of the nucleoid envelope.