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.
Renne
R
R
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Microbiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Lagunoff
M
M
Zhong
W
W
Ganem
D
D
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