ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDIES ON A CHLORELLA VIRUS FROM GERMANY

This is the first report on the morphology and fine structure of chlor ella virus Gottingen-1 (CVG-1), an European member of the newly approv ed family Phycodnaviridae, which infects certain unicellular, eukaryot ic, exsymbiotic, green algae. CVG-1 are polyhedral particles 145-160 n m in diameter. The capsid consists of two shells, apparently composed of ca. 7 nm subunits. Whereas the outer shell of the capsid appears to be icosahedral, the inner shell appears to be irregular underneath on e vertex of the virion. In this vertex the inner shell is separated fr om the outer shell leaving a distinct space (''empty vertex'') of unkn own function.