누에(Bombyx mori)와 흰불나방(Hyphantria cunea)으로 부터 분리된 핵다각체병바이러스(nuclear polyhedrosis virus: NPV)를 동정하기 위하여 전자현미경 관찰한 결과, BmNPV 다각체의 크기는 3 μm 정도의 18면체로 외형이 균일하였으나, HcNPV는 1.5-2 μm 정도이며 부정형이었다. Alkaline protease를 부활화시킨 후 SDS-PAGE한 다각체 단백질의 分子물은 BmNPV가 30 KD, HcNPV는 31 KD인 major band와 이들의 중합체(polymer)로 생각되는 57 KD, 112 KD의 minor band들이 관찰되었다. 또한 virion 단백질을 SDS-PAGE한 후 은염색한 결과, BmNPV는 분자량 9.6~112 KD인 47개의 band, HcNPV 경우는 분자량 9.4~l11 KD인 48개는 band가 관찰되었다. BmNPV와 HcNPV DNA의 제한효소 처이에 의한 전기영동 패턴을 관찰했으며, 각각의 genome 크기는 BmNPV가 약 116.4 Kb, HcNPV의 약 114.6 Kb였다.
The nuclear polyhedrosis viruses of Bombyx mori (BmNPV) and Hyphantria cunea (HcNPV) were characterized by electron microscopic observation, SDS-PAGE of polyhedral and virion proteins, and restriction endonuclease analysis of viral DNAs. Polyhedra of BmNPV were octadecahedral in shape with the diameter of 3 μm, whereas those of HcNPV showed irregular appearances having the diameter of 1.5~2μm. Under alkaline protease inactivated condition, polyhedral proteins of two NPVs were resolved into a major polypeptide, 30~31 KD, and several minor polypeptides by SDS-PAGE. Examination of virion proteins by silver staining after SDS-PAGE showed that BmNPV was composed of 47 polypeptides with M.W. range of 9.6~112 KD and HcNPV was composed of 48 polypeptides with M.W. range of 9.4~111 KD. The approximate genome size of two NPVs were determined by restriction endonuclease analysis: BmNPV and HcNPV were 114.6 Kb, respectively.