Properties of the nucleocapsids of a virus isolated from Oryctes rhinoceros.

Nucleocapcids were isolated from purified particles of “Oryctes” virus (a candidate Baculovirus) by treatment with Nonidet P-40. The nucleocapsids were homogeneous in size and density and contained the viral DNA as well as eight of the twelve virus particle polypeptides resolved on polyacrylamide gels. The nucleocapcids were serologically related to nucleocapcids of another Baculovirus (a nuclear polyhedrosis virus from Spodoptera littoralis), although the “Oryctes” nucleocapcids were morphologically distinct in carrying a novel tail-like projection at one end of the particle.