Replication of Herpesvirus saimiri is semipermissive in human cells because of a block in the synthesis of certain late proteins.
We studied the replication of Herpesvirus saimiri(HVS), strain 11, in human cells as part of an effort to assess the risk of humans to this transforming herpesvirus. Earlier studies on the replication of HVS in human cells were carried out before the development of immunofluorescent and biochemical techniques which would have been useful in characterizing the interaction of the virus and host cells. In this study, all human cells expressed HVS early antigens as detectable by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation. Analysis of late antigens present in infected human cells using polyvalent sera and monoclonal antibodies indicated that many, but not all, were not synthesized at detectable levels. This imbalanced synthesis of late antigens and the low level of several major virion proteins were sufficient to explain the extremely low titers of HVS observed in cultures of human cells.
Dahlberg
J E
JE
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
Ablashi
D V
DV
Rhim
J S
JS
Fladger
A
A
Salahuddin
S Z
SZ
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002460:Cell Line; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006567:Herpesvirus 2, Saimiriine / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011323:Primates; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014779:Virus Replication
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins