The DNA-binding properties of immediate-early and early proteins of murine cytomegalovirus.

The DNA-binding properties of the immediate early (IE) and early proteins induced by the murine cytomegalovirus (Smith strain) in permissively infected 3T3-L 1 cells and nonpermissively infected J774A.1 cells were characterized. Eight of 10 IE proteins and 4 of 7 early proteins had affinity for DNA (native or denatured). A 96K IE protein was observed to have affinity for denatured DNA-cellulose when synthesized in J774A.1 cells but not when synthesized 3T3-L 1 cells.