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The essential herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early IE63 (ICP27) is pleiotropic in function, promoting the switch from the early to late phase of virus gene expression, and has effects on the posttranscriptional processes of mRNA splicing and 3' processing. We have investigated the role of IE63 in the regulation of viral mRNA 3' processing and of late gene expression. Our in vitro 3' processing studies demonstrated that HSV-1 infection induces an activity, which requires IE63 gene expression, responsible for an observed increase in 3' processing of selected HSV-1 poly(A) sites. Processing efficiencies at the poly(A) sites of two late genes, UL38 and UL44, shown to be inherently weak processing sites, were increased by the IE63-induced activity. In contrast, 3' processing at the poly(A) sites of selected immediate-early and early genes, stronger processing sites, was unaffected by IE63 expression. UV cross-linking experiments demonstrated that HSV infection caused enhanced binding of protein factors, including the 64-kDa component of cleavage stimulation factor (CstF), to poly(A) site RNAs from virus genes of all temporal classes and that this enhanced binding required expression of IE63. By immunofluorescence, the homogeneous pattern of the 64-kDa CstF protein distribution became slightly clumped with infection, whereas the splicing small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles were recognized into a highly punctate distribution away from the sites of virus transcription. This effect could create an increase in the relative concentration of 3' processing factors available to pre-mRNAs. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis showed that IE63 was required for expression of several true late genes and for the efficient and timely expression of the UL29 and UL42 early genes, integral components on the viral DNA synthesis machinery. Our data are consistent with two effects of IE63 on late gene regulation: firstly, a stimulation of pre-mRNA 3' processing and, secondly, as a requirement for expression of functions necessary for viral DNA synthesis.

We have shown previously that a novel herpes simplex virus-induced activity, LPF, selectively increases RNA 3'-end processing at the poly(A) site of a late virus gene (J. McLauchlan, S. Simpson, and J. B. Clements, Cell 59:1093-1105, 1989). Here, our in vivo and in vitro analyses both demonstrate that LPF is induced during early stages of virus infection. Studies of virus mutants indicate that expression of the immediate-early IE63 gene is required for induction of this activity. The selective effects on 3' processing displayed in the presence of IE63 provide direct evidence that IE63 can influence this posttranscription process. This extends previous studies which reported increases in reporter gene activity with certain poly(A) sites by IE63 (R. M. Sandri-Goldin and G. E. Mendoza, Genes Dev. 6:848-863, 1992).

We report on a protein kinase function encoded by the unique N terminus of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ribonucleotide reductase large subunit (R1). R1 expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited autophosphorylation activity in a reaction which depended on the presence of the unique N terminus. When the N terminus was separately expressed in E. coli and partially purified, a similar autophosphorylation reaction was observed. Importantly, transphosphorylation of histones and of proteins in HSV-1-infected cell extracts was also observed with purified R1 and with truncated R1 mutants in which most of the N terminus was deleted. Ion-exchange chromatography was used to separate the autophosphorylating activity of the N terminus from the transphosphorylating activity of an E. coli contaminant protein kinase. We propose a putative function for this activity of the HSV-1 R1 N terminus during the immediate-early phase of virus replication.

Using in situ hybridization labelling methods, we have determined that the herpes simplex virus type 1 immediate-early protein IE63 (ICP27) affects the cellular localization of virus transcripts. Intronless transcripts from the IE63, UL38, and UL44 genes are rapidly exported to and accumulate in the cytoplasm throughout infection, in either the presence or absence of IE63 expression. The intron-containing transcripts from the IE110 and UL15 genes, while initially cytoplasmic, are increasingly retained in the nucleus in distinct clumps as infection proceeds, and the clumps colocalize with the redistributed small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles. Infections with the IE63 mutant virus 27-lacZ demonstrated that in the absence of IE63 expression, nuclear retention of intron-containing transcripts was lost. The nuclear retention of UL15 transcripts, which demonstrated both nuclear and cytoplasmic label, was not as pronounced as that of the IE110 transcripts, and we propose that this is due to the late expression of UL15. Infections with the mutant virus 110C1, in which both introns of IE110 have been precisely removed (R.D. Everett, J. Gen. Virol. 72:651-659, 1991), demonstrated IE110 transcripts in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm; thus, exon definition sequences which regulate viral RNA transport are present in the IE110 transcript. By in situ hybridization a stable population of polyadenylated RNAs was found to accumulate in the nucleus in spots, most of which were separate from the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle clumps. The IE63 protein has an involvement, either direct or indirect, in the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport of viral transcripts, a function which contrasts with the recently proposed role of herpes simplex virus type 1 Us11 in promoting the nuclear export of partially spliced or unspliced transcripts (J.-J. Diaz, M. Duc Dodon, N. Schaerer-Uthurraly, D. Simonin, K. Kindbeiter, L. Gazzolo, and J.-J. Madjar, Nature [London] 379:273-277, 1996), the significance of which is discussed.

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) gene RL1 encodes the protein ICP34.5, which is a specific neurovirulence factor. Null mutants in RL1 fail to replicate in the central nervous system of mice and are therefore totally non-neurovirulent. Additionally, they fail to replicate in neurons of the peripheral nervous system, although they are capable of establishing and reactivating from a latent infection. As the precise function of ICP34.5 in HSV-neuronal interactions is unknown, we have studied the role of ICP34.5 in vitro by examining in detail the phenotypes of RL1-negative viruses in two defined tissue culture systems. The first was mouse embryo fibroblast 3T6 cells, in which RL1-negative mutants are impaired and the in vivo phenotype is mimicked. This impairment is amplified when the cells are in the stationary state. The second was mouse embryo testicular carcinoma F9 cells which, in the undifferentiated state, provide a reversal of phenotype; wild-type virus fails to grow but RL1-negative virus replicates efficiently. Differentiation results in the ability to support wild-type virus growth. The stage at which the replication cycle is blocked plus the role of cellular factors is addressed in both tissue culture systems. Evidence is provided that cell type and cell state are crucial to ICP34.5-cellular interaction and hence, based on these parameters, ICP34.5 can be defined as a host-range determinant. Identification of cellular proteins that specifically interact with or are homologues of ICP34.5 may lead to the identification of neuron-specific proteins that have a similar role.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) gene encoding the ribonucleotide reductase (RR) small subunit (R2) was cloned as an unfused and intact open reading frame into a T7 RNA polymerase expression system in Escherichia coli. The expressed product was recovered from bacteria in soluble form and constituted 7% of the soluble protein. Protein purification yielded 3·5 mg of 95% pure R2 per litre of bacterial culture. The correct composition of the purified protein was verified by amino acid analysis and N-terminal sequencing. The isoelectric point of the protein was 5·3. Atomic emission spectroscopy indicated that the iron content of the E. coli-expressed R2 was 0·2 to 0·5 atoms of iron per R2 protomer as compared with a theoretical maximum value of 2. The E. coli-expressed HSV-1 R2 existed as a combination of a stable dimer and monomer. Combination of the E. coli-expressed R2 with the E. coli-expressed large subunit (R1) gave an active holoenzyme. Thus, the T7 expression system provides a rich source of enzymically active HSV-1 RR.

The herpes simplex virus type 1 temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant ts1207 does not induce detectable levels of ribonucleotide reductase activity at the non-permissive temperature (NPT, 39.5 degrees C). The ts lesion prevents the association of the enzyme's large (RR1) and small (RR2) subunits to give an active holoenzyme and maps within the gene specifying RR1. Here, it is shown that the ts mutant phenotype is due to the substitution of an asparagine for the wild-type (wt) serine at RR1 position 961, which is located within a region highly conserved between herpesviral and cellular RR1 subunit polypeptides. This ts1207 asparagine is predicted to alter a wt alpha-helix to a beta-strand. We have used synthetic oligopeptides, corresponding to the wt amino acid sequence of the mutation site, and antisera raised against them to determine whether this region is involved in subunit association. Neither the oligopeptides nor the antisera inhibit the enzyme activity, or the reconstituted activity formed by mixing intact RR2 and RR1 subunits present in partially purified extracts of cells infected at the NPT with ts1207 or ts1222 (an HSV-1 mutant with a lesion in the RR2 subunit), respectively. We infer from these results that the site of the mutation is unlikely to be positioned at the surface of RR1 and hence is probably not directly involved in subunit association. We suggest that the mutation site identifies an important RR1 region whose alteration in ts1207 changes the structure of a contact region(s) positioned at the RR1/RR2 interface.

A 3' co-terminus of two early herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNAs has been identified using the nuclease -S1 mapping procedure with cloned virus DNA probes. These mRNAs (5.0 kb and 1.2 kb), located within the genome region 0.56-0.60, are unspliced and are transcribed rightwards on the prototype genome orientation. The position of their 3' ends has been located on the virus DNA sequence and lies downstream from the polyadenylation signal 5'-AATAAA-3'. This hexanucleotide sequence also was present in the complementary DNA strand and was shown to be the polyadenylation signal for a leftwards-transcribed late mRNA. The abundance within the cytoplasm of the 5.0 kb and 1.2 kb mRNAs was investigated. Results indicated that these mRNAs were regulated in concert. It is suggested that sequences at the 3' co-terminus may be involved in their regulation.

Summary Partial denaturation maps of 30 HSV-1 DNA molecules have been obtained using a procedure designed to avoid possible hydrolysis of the DNA at alkalilabile bonds. From the denaturation pattern of the long unique DNA region these molecules were divided into two groups comprised of 16 and 14 molecules. Histogram plots relating the percentage denaturation to position on the DNA for these two groups were aligned in a manner appropriate to the HSV-1 genome model. It was apparent that these groups had the orientation of the long region inverted with respect to each other. Similarly, from the denaturation maps of the short unique region, the molecules were divided into two groups each comprising 15 molecules. Alignment of the histogram plots of these groups indicated that the orientation of the short region was inverted in one group relative to the other. These partial denaturation data confirm the presence of four HSV-1 genome arrangements resulting from the possible combinations of inversions of the two unique DNA regions.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is an endemic human virus characterized by latent infection of sensory ganglia, with reactivation leading to peripheral lesions in a proportion of cases. The virus genome (145 500 base pairs) comprises two segments, L and S, bounded by inverted repeat regions of approximately 10500 base pairs (TR L and IR L ) and 6000 base pairs (IR s and TR s ) respectively. A direct terminal repeat of about 300 base pairs is also present in an inverted form at the junction between L and S. Numerous indirect studies have suggested an association of the venereal serotype (HSV-2) with squamous carcinoma of the cervix (Nahmias et al . 1970; Thomas & Rawls 1978). Direct evidence has been notably lacking, but the presence of HSV RNA in cervical neoplasms has recently been reported (Jones et al . 1979; McDougall et al . 1980), with in situ hybridization to tritiated HSV DNA. In collaboration with Dr Frank Sharp of the Department of Midwifery, Glasgow University, we have now completed a major screening of cervical neoplasms by the in situ technique. Patients referred to Dr Sharp’s clinic for colposcopic examination were swabbed to detect intracervical infectious HSV. Punch biopsy samples (approximately 5 mm in section) were taken for pathological examination and categorization as non­-neoplastic cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (c. i. n.) or squamous carcinoma. Parallel punches were snap-frozen and thin sections (7 µm) mounted on glass slides, fixed and then hybridized to in vitro 125 I-labelled HSV-2, Ad2, Ad5 or phage lambda DNA. Biopsies of primary adenocarcinomas of the cervix were treated in the same way. After washing and autoradiography, results are expressed as background-corrected mean grain counts per field (mean of ten fields per sample, 3.6 x 10 –2 mm 2 per field; ca . 20 cells per field).

Summary Three serologically distinct bovine enteroviruses (vg-5-27; vc-65-182; vp-7-19) grew in BHK21 cells to concentrations of approximately 5 × 108 p.f.u./ml. A purification procedure was used which involved sedimentation and gel-filtration through a Sepharose 2 B column. The virus particles were spherical (diameter of 27 nm.), had a buoyant density of 1.34 g./ml. in CsCl and a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 165s. The RNA of each of the virus types had a sedimentation coefficient of 35s in sucrose-gradients and the base compositions were similar, being characterized by high A (30%) and low U (21%).

Summary LMTK- cells infected with u.v.-irradiated herpes simplex virus type 1 have been selected for the presence of the enzyme thymidine kinase. These cells have an altered morphology compared to the control cells and contain herpes-specific antigens in their cytoplasm. The thymidine kinase activity present in these cells has been shown, on the basis of a number of biochemical properties, to be identical to the herpes virus specified deoxypyrimidine kinase found during lytic infection of this virus. In addition it has been possible to detect herpes simplex-specific RNA sequences in the transformed cells and this occurs in both the polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions.

The RNA produced in vivo from bacteriophage phiX174 DNA has been analyzed by polyacrylamide-agarose gel electrophoresis and sedimentation in dimethyl sulfoxide gradients, and the results of Hayashi and Hayashi (1970) have been confirmed and extended. An efficient procedure for recovery of RNA from gels, followed by a hybridization assay, has indicated the presence in infected cells of 18 distinct RNA species with sizes up to and greater than the unit (viral) length. The sizes of phiX mRNA's were similar irrespective of whether material was analyzed on gels or in dimethyl sulfoxide gradients. When virus-induced RNA was detected by a double-label method, seven additional low-molecular weight species were observed on gels and the resolution of dimethyl sulfoxide gradients was enhanced. The present results lend support to aspects of the model of Hayashi and Hayashi (1970) for the generation of these discrete mRNA species; an alternative model is also discussed.

We have determined the orientation of 4 immediate early (IE) mRNA's on the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome by mapping cDNA's complementary to the 3'-termini of messages. These IE mRNA's are transcribed by a pre-existing cell RNA polymerase, and we propose a model which allows their synthesis from a circular template using a single virus promoter region. The promoter region, which is located in the two repetitive DNA regions which flank the short unique region of the virus genome, may serve to initiate bidirectional transcription of these IE mRNA's.

Introduction. Herpesviruses infect a wide range of vertebrates and are important human and animal pathogens: in a number of cases infection persists for very long periods, in a latent form, with occasional episodes of overt typical disease. In addition, several herpesviruses have been shown to be the causative agent of tumour formation in their normal hosts (e.g. Lucke frog tumour virus) or in related species (e.g. herpesvirus saimiri). Indirect evidence exists for the involvement of Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in human cancers. Thus there exist good reasons for the pursuit and identification of the mechanisms of herpesvirus infection and replication. From the molecular virological standpoint, herpesviruses also offer an important system for study. This large virus has the potential to code for about one hundred genes and the identification of these gene products, their function and their control poses many interesting questions.

The gene for the thymidine kinase (TK) of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is located in the KpnI m and BamHI p fragments of the genome (Wigler et al., Cell 11, 223-232 (1977)). These fragments have been inserted into the EcoRI and BamHI sites, respectively, of plasmid pBR322, and propagated in E.coli. The TK gene contained in the recombinant plasmids was shown to be biologically active when introduced into TK- mouse L cells. Detailed restriction site maps of the BamHI p fragment have been constructed and the approximate location of the TK gene has been determined. Mouse cells transformed with cloned HSV-1 tk+ DNA produced HSV-1-specific thymidine kinase; superinfection with HSV-1 tk- virus increased the level of TK activity tenfold, suggesting that the BamHI p sequences present in transformed cells respond to virus-encoded regulatory gene product(s).

Summary The 5′ ends of two early herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNAs have been identified by nuclease S1 and exonuclease VII analysis using cloned virus DNA probes. These mRNAs (5.0 kb and 1.2 kb), located within the genome region between map coordinates 0.56 and 0.60, are unspliced and share a 3′ terminus. Genomic DNA at the 5′ ends has been sequenced and the 5′ termini have been located on the virus DNA sequence. The DNA sequence has revealed signals involved in the initiation of transcription of both mRNAs, and the 5′ end of the 1.2 kb mRNA is encoded within the internal sequences of the 5.0 kb mRNA. The probable translational initiation codons for the polypeptides specified by these mRNAs have been identified, and the results indicate that the coding regions of the two mRNAs do not overlap.

Polyadenylated immediate-early transcripts of herpes simplex virus type 1, made in BHK cells infected and maintained in the presence of cycloheximide, have been separated on denaturing agarose gels containing methyl mercuric hydroxide. Three virus-specific mRNA bands of estimated sizes 4.7, 3.0, and 2.0 kilobases (kb) were detected, and these mRNA's were mapped on the virus genome and also used to direct protein synthesis in vitro. The 4.7- and 3.0-kb mRNA's hybridized predominantly to certain DNA fragments which are located in the short and long repetitive regions of the genome, respectively, whereas the 2.0-kb mRNA's mapped to three discrete regions of the virus DNA. In vitro translation of these separated mRNA size classes indicated that the 3.0-kb mRNA specified the synthesis of virus polypeptide Vmw 110, whereas the 2.0-kb mRNA's specified Vmw 68, 63, and 12. The synthesis of small amounts of Vmw 175 was specified by the 4.7-kb mRNA. In contrast with the mRNA's which specify these other immediate-early polypeptides, that specifying Vmw 12 is much larger than required for its coding sequences.

The percutaneous subclavian vein hemodialysis catheter, which is widely used for vascular access in patients with renal failure, can give rise to several complications. Asymptomatic stenosis or occlusion of the subclavian vein due to these catheters can lead to painful arm edema if further dialysis accesses are constructed in the ipsilateral arm. This complication can lead to loss of valuable dialysis fistulas or grafts. We present six cases of this complication, along with management alternatives, which include conservative elevation, ligation of shunts, and surgical bypass of stenosed veins. Awareness of this complication should encourage early evaluation of patients who have had subclavian catheters and guide future placement of dialysis shunts. To preserve dialysis access sites, we advise an individualized approach to each patient who develops this painful arm edema.