Reexamination of the Morphogenetic Block of a Putative Late-Stage, Temperature-Sensitive Mutant of Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus

The ts3 temperature-sensitive mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus has been reported to have a morphogenetic block in a late stage of the budding process. As evidence, previously published electron micrographs of cells maintained at the nonpermissive temperature (39 degrees C) revealed numerous budding virions on the cell surface. However, it appears now that these micrographs reflected budding that occurred not at 39 degrees C, but after cells were removed from the incubator before fixation. The morphogenesis of ts3 is actually blocked at an earlier stage of development.