Studies on kinetics of DNA synthesis in CV-1 cell cultures infected with different multiplicities (MOI) of Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

Infection of CV-1 cell cultures with HSV-2 at MOI 5 respectively 1PFU/cell resulted in markedly different patterns of DNA-synthesis. Isolation and separation of cellular and viral DNA on CsCl equilibrium density gradients during the "late" phase after infection with 5PFU/cell revealed a rapid increase in synthesis of virus-specific DNA (which banded at density q25 = 1.729 g/ccm) while synthesis of host cell DNA (banding at 1.705 g/ccm) was constantly inhibited. 15 hours after infection and incubation with labelled medium, around infection and incubation with labelled medium, around 75% of total isolated DNA was virus-specific. On lowering the MOI to 1 PFU/cell, however, synthesis of host cell DNA continued and was even partially stimulated during the late phase whereas synthesis of virus-specific DNA advanced only slowly. 16 hours after infection, approximately 25% of the total assayed after infection, approximately 25% of the total assayed DNA was virus-specific and the amount of host cell DNA approached values of uninfected control cells. 24 hours after infection and incubation, virus specific DNA rose to approximately 45% of overall DNA assayed, and synthesis of host cell DNA was completely inhibited. However, infectivity rose constantly and reached 106.8 TCD 50/ml at 22 hours p.i. These findings were independent of passage number of CV-cell culture, and there were no alterations in karyotype and morphological behaviour of the cells.