The Insertion of DNA into Vaccinia Virus

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Abstract
Cells infected with vaccinia virus in the presence of hydroxyurea (HU), which blocks DNA replication, were examined in thin sections by electron microscopy at intervals after removal of HU. Dense, fibrillar material was observed at the orifice formed just before closure of the membrane constituting the envelope of the immature form of the virus. It is concluded that synchrony of assembly enabled stages in the condensation and insertion of viral deoxyribonucleoprotein to be observed. The mechanism appears to be similar to that encountered in morphologic studies of herpes simplex virus and in biochemical studies of poliovirus, adenovirus, and several bacteriophages.