Our data show that although vaccinia virus uses the microtubule cytoskeleton to achieve a peri-nuclear localization, microtubule and Golgi organization becomes disrupted later during the infection process. Interestingly, HSV-1 and CMV have also been reported to disrupt the microtubule cytoskeleton and Golgi organization in their infection cycles (Avitabile et al., 1995; Fish et al., 1996) . While disruption of the microtubule network might at ®rst sight not appear to be bene®cial to the virus, it may not actually hinder viral spread but could enhance it. First, extensive virus assembly and spread to the cell periphery have already occurred by the time the microtubule cytoskeleton and Golgi organization are disrupted. Secondly, disruption of microtubule organization may overcome potential microtubule motor anchoring effects at the MTOC, thus allowing viral spread to the periphery to occur more easily. Lastly, the formation of long projections of up to 200 mm supported by extensive microtubule bundles provides a means to achieve long range spread of virus particles (Sanderson et al., 1998b) .