by insertion of electron-dense nucleo-protein core
into a partly formed empty capsid just before
completely sealing. This was the first report for
fish iridovirus-infected cells at the ultrastructural
level, and perhaps similar to that was described
for African swine fever virus (ASFV), an icosahedral
double-stranded DNA virus which is replicated
in the cytoplasm of porcine monocytic cells
(Brookes et al., 1996). Further studies are required
to carry out the grouper iridovirus DNA
synthesis, the formation of nucleo-protein electron-
dense core and the molecular mechanism of
viral particle assembly.
The general morphology and inner fine structural
observations of the grouper iridovirus were
all based on ultrathin sections and purified virions.