Inversion events in the HSV-1 genome are directly mediated by the viral DNA replication machinery and lack sequence specificity.
The bacterial transposable element Tn5 was observed to undergo high-frequency sequence inversion when integrated into the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome. Deletion analysis of the IS50 elements through which this recombination event occurred demonstrated the absence of cis-acting signals involved in the inversion process. Several observations suggested an intimate association of the recombination mechanism with HSV-1 DNA replication, including the ability of the seven viral genes that are essential for HSV-1 DNA synthesis to mediate Tn5 inversion in the absence of any other viral functions. Comparable results were obtained by using duplicate copies of the L-S junction of the HSV-1 genome. Thus inversion of the L and S components of the HSV-1 genome during productive infection does not appear to be a site-specific process, but rather is the result of generalized recombination mediated by the complex of gene products that replicate the viral DNA.
Weber
P C
PC
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109.
Challberg
M D
MD
Nelson
N J
NJ
Levine
M
M
Glorioso
J C
JC
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D007446:Chromosome Inversion; D004261:DNA Replication; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010957:Plasmids; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection; D014709:Vero Cells; D014779:Virus Replication
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes