The size and conformation of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (human herpesvirus 8) DNA in infected cells and virions.
The genome of a novel human herpesvirus has been detected in specimens of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and in several AIDS-related lymphoproliferative disorders. Here we examine the size and genomic conformation of the DNA of this virus (known as KS-associated herpesvirus or human herpesvirus 8) in latently and lytically infected cells and in virions. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of viral DNA shows that the viral genome is similar in size to those of other gammaherpesviruses (160 to 170 kb). As with Epstein-Barr virus, KS-associated herpesvirus DNA is stably maintained in latently infected B cells as episomal monomer circles and induction from latency is associated with the selective accumulation of linear genomic forms.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Microbiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
R
R
Renne
M
M
Lagunoff
W
W
Zhong
D
D
Ganem
D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D014771:Virion
D004279:DNA, Viral