Human cytomegalovirus structural components: intracellular and intraviral localization of p28 and p65-69 by immunoelectron microscopy

Using specific monoclonal antibodies, we have localized two structural proteins (p65-69 and p28) of human cytomegalovirus in infected cells and in virions and/or virus-related particles by immunoelectron microscopy using protein A-gold. Protein p65-69 is present in some roundish structures in the nuclei, often in contact with the viroplasm, and in the cytoplasm, exclusively within the dense body matrix. Protein p28 is present only in the outline of cytoplasmic capsids, and reaches the highest density in the large aggregates of virions and dense bodies which are particularly numerous during the late phases of the viral replication cycle.