Immunoperoxidase localization of herpes zoster virus and simian virus 40 in cell culture.

The immunoperoxidase technique was used in an electron microscopy study to localize the virions of herpes zoster virus and simian virus 40 in cell cultures. Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic virions of herpes zoster virus were easily and specifically identified due to intense staining by the finely granular, black reaction product. With simian virus 40, intranuclear virions were not stained, whereas intracytoplasmic particles appeared densely black. There was essentially no background staining. Advantages of this technique over the ferritin-labeled antibody method include simpler preparative procedures for reagents, greater penetrability of the antibody conjugate, and internal amplification which substantially improves the ability to localize sites of antigen-antibody reaction. We believe that the immunoperoxidase method can be successfully applied to a wide variety of problems involving viral antigens.