MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CELL SYSTEMS IN FECTED WITH VARIOUS HIV STRAINS

Cell systems infected with 63 strains of types 1 and 2 HIV virus (HIV- 1 and HIV-2) were examined under electron microscope. HIV virions were most frequently detected near the cell membrane or budding from it. I n the cytoplasm HIV occurred only in vacuole-like formations. Accumula tions of mature virions were seen in the cell-to-cell space. Mature pa rticles of HIV-1 and HIV-2 differed by their morphology from oncoviral C particles and were similar rather to the Visna/Medi type Lentivirus es. Morphological analysis of HIV strains isolated in Russia demonstra ted their similarity to the foreign HIV strains.