RNA synthesis in cells infected with herpes simplex virus. VII. Control of transcription and of transcript abundancies of unique and common sequences of herpes simplex virus 1 and 2.

Analysis of the kinetics of hybridization in liquid of labeled herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2 DNAs with excess unlabeled RNA extracted at 2 (early) and 8 (late) h postinfection revealed the following. (i) The RNA transcripts present in the HSV-1-infected cells at 2 and 8 h postinfection are complementary to 44 and 48% of HSV-1 DNA. The RNA transcripts present in the HSV-2-infected cells at 2 and 8 h postinfection are complementary to 21 and 50% of HSV-2 DNA. (ii) The transcripts present in 2-h HSV-1- or HSV-2-infected cells treated with cycloheximide are complementary to 44 and 45% of the respective DNAs. (iii) The RNA transcripts present in the HSV-1-infected cells at 2 h postinfection and in HSV-2-infected cells at 8 h postinfection form 2 classes, abundant and scarce, differing in molar concentrations. The RNA transcripts present in the HSV-2-infected cells at 2 h postinfection form only one abundance class. (iv) The transcripts present in the HSV-1-infected cells at 8 h postinfection are complementary to 24% of HSV-2 DNA and therefore 50% of the transcribed HSV-1 sequences are shared by the two viruses. Of the RNA sequences complementary to HSV-2 DNA, 13% arise from HSV-1 templates specifying abundant RNA and 11% arise from HSV-1 templates specifying scarce RNA. Thus, the DNA sequences shared in common by HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNAs constitute 71% of the HSV-1 templates specifying abundant RNA and 39% of sequences specifying scarce RNA.