Polypeptides of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and immunological relationship of VZV and herpes simplex virus (HSV).

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), labelled with [35S]methionine or [14C]glucosamine, was purified by centrifugation through sucrose gradients followed by equilibrium centrifugation in CsCl, and analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). At least 32 polypeptides ranging in mol. wt. from approx. 280 X 10(3) to 21.5 X 10(3) (280K to 21.5K) and six glycopeptides ranging in mol. wt. from approx. 115K to 45K (gp1 to gp6) were found in the virion. The immunological relationship of VZV and herpes simplex virus (HSV) was investigated. In neutralization (NT) tests, no cross-neutralization was observed between VZV and HSV-1 or -2. In fluorescent antibody staining, however, a cross-reaction was observed between VZV- and HSV-1-infected human embryonic lung (HEL) cells and heterologous antiserum. When cross-reactions were investigated by immunoprecipitation followed by SDS-PAGE, several cross-reacting polypeptides were discovered. Cross-reacting glycopeptides of 64K (gp3) and 55K (gp5) were isolated from VZV-infected cell lysates by affinity column chromatography to immobilized HSV-1 antibodies.