Abstract
ATTEMPTS to isolate hepatitis A virus have been in progress for several decades. An important advance was the finding that the marmoset served as a permissive animal host for this virus1, but it became obvious that more than one agent was active. The pedigree of one agent was established as MS-1 (hepatitis A) isolate, while the other, which was demonstrably different by neutralisation and cross-challenge experiments, was designated GB. The GB infectious serum was obtained on the third day of jaundice from a surgeon in Chicago who developed a mild form of acute hepatitis. This serum induced hepatitis in all four marmosets inoculated. A pool of infectious GB serum marmoset (passage 11) was prepared from the total bleeding of nine white-lipped marmosets (Saguinus sp.) 19–24 d after inoculation and during the early acute phase of hepatitis as indicated by an increase of serum transaminase levels. This pool, designated H 205 GB pass 11, has an infectivity of 104.5 marmoset ID50. We have now examined the GB agent electron microscopically, and found that it is smaller and more fragile than the MS-1 strain2, and therefore also the identical CR326 isolate3 of hepatitis A, which have the morphological appearances of recognised, small cubic viruses measuring about 27 nm in diameter.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Deinhardt, F., Holmes, A. W., Capps, R. B., and Popper, H., J. exp. Med., 125, 673–688 (1967).
Feinstone, S. M., Kapikian, A. Z., and Purcell, R. H., Science, 182, 1026–1028 (1973).
Provost, P. J., Ittensohn, O. L., Villarejos, V. M., Arguedas, J. A., and Hilleman, M. R., Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 142, 1257–1267 (1973).
Almeida, J. D., Zuckerman, A. J., Taylor, P. E., and Waterson, A. P., Microbiol, 2, 117–123. (1969).
Thornton, A., Zuckerman, A. J., and Almeida, J. D., Lancet, ii, 226 (1975).
Deinhardt, F., Wolfe, L., Peterson, D., Cross, G. F., and Holmes, A. W., in Developments in Biological Standardization International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis (edit. by Regamy, R. H., Hennessen, W., and Perkins, F. T.), 390–404 (Karger, Basel, 1975).
Hilleman, M. R., in Developments in Biological Standardization International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis (edit. by Regamy, R. H., Hennessen, W., and Perkins, F. T.), 428 (Karger, Basel, 1975).
Prince, A. M., et al., Lancet, ii, 241–246 (1974).
Alter, H. J., Holland, P. V., and Purcell, R. H., Am. J. med. Sci., 270, 329–334 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ALMEIDA, J., DEINHARDT, F., HOLMES, A. et al. Morphology of the GB hepatitis agent. Nature 261, 608–609 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261608a0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/261608a0
This article is cited by
-
TT virus (TTV) is not associated with acute sporadic hepatitis
Infection (1999)
-
Virus particles in marmoset hepatitis
Nature (1977)
-
Virus particles in marmoset hepatitis (reply)
Nature (1977)
-
Virus-like particles and GB agent hepatitis
Nature (1976)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
