Biochemical transformation of mouse cells by a purified fragment of marmoset herpesvirus DNA.

Although the size of marmoset herpesvirus (MarHV) DNA, estimated by velocity sedimentation in sucrose gradients, was similar to that of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA, the restriction endonuclease sites of MarHV and HSV-1 DNAs were quite different. A specific BamHI restriction fragment (6.2 x 10(6) daltons) of MarHV DNA biochemically transformed LM(TK-) mouse fibroblasts to the thymidine kinase(TK)-positive phenotype. Rabbit antisera, prepared against MarHV TK, inhibited MarHV-induced TK, but not HSV-1, HSV-2, or cellular TKs. Disc PAGE analyses and enzyme neutralization experiments with the anti-MarHV TK sera demonstrated that the TK expressed in MarHV transformants was MarHV-specific.