Herpes Simplex Virus Genome Isomerization: Origins of Adjacent Long Segments in Concatemeric Viral DNA

Herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA isomerization was studied by using a viral mutant, 5B8, lacking the unique SpeI site of its parent, SC16. In coinfected cells, SC16 genomic long segments flanked 5B8 genomes in all possible orientations with similar frequencies. Thus, recombination between progeny of different replication templates is sufficient to explain genomic isomerization.

本研究借助缺失亲本株SC16特异性SpeI酶切位点的病毒突变株5B8，对单纯疱疹病毒1型（Herpes simplex virus type 1）的DNA异构化过程开展研究。在共感染细胞中，亲本SC16的基因组长片段以所有可能的方向侧翼环绕5B8基因组，且各方向出现频率相近。据此可知，不同复制模板产生的子代病毒间的重组，足以解释基因组异构化现象。