DNA sequence and RNA transcription through a site of recombination in a non-neurovirulent herpes simplex virus intertypic recombinant.
RE6 is a herpes simplex type-1 (HSV-1) X herpes simplex type-2 (HSV-2) intertypic recombinant that cannot replicate in the adult mouse nervous system. In the accompanying report, we have shown that HSV-1 sequences between 0.698 and 0.721 map units can restore a partial neurovirulent phenotype to RE6. In this report, we have used comparative DNA sequence analysis of RE6, 17syn+ (HSV-1) and HG52 (HSV-2) to demonstrate that this region contains a site of recombination between HSV-1 and HSV-2 sequences in RE6. High resolution transcription analysis has demonstrated that three readily detected transcripts are present in this region of the genome. In addition, the 5' end of a low abundance 5 kb transcript was also located in the right-hand portion of this region. All the transcripts encoded by HSV-1 and HSV-2 in this region of the genome are expressed by the RE6 recombinant. This and our sequence data suggest that the lack of neurovirulence in RE6 is not due to a simple loss in the expression of a transcript or to a defect in a protein encoded by a gene at the site of recombination.
Thompson
R L
RL
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0524.
Devi-Rao
G V
GV
Wagner
E K
EK
D001483:Base Sequence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014774:Virulence
D012333:RNA, Messenger