Herpesvirus-induced availability of host DNA to exogenous endonuclease.

Deoxyribonuclease I penetrates herpesvirus-infected L cells and degrades host DNA without interfering with viral multiplication. The DNA of uninfected control monolayers of L cells, disrupted by scraping, is similarly attacked. In contrast, undisturbed L cells are not affected. This suggests that altered cell membrane permeability allows the nuclease to enter the cell, thereby permitting access of exogenous deoxyribonuclease to cellular DNA.