MUTANTS OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS

II. IDU-RESISTANT MUTANTS AND A PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENT ON GENETIC RECOMBINATION

Abstract

The IDU (5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine)-resistant mutants (SI, LI and GI) obtained from S (small plaque f ormers), L (large plaque f ormers) and G (polykaryocyte formers) of herpes simplex virus have a similar character in antigenicity and the same heat stabilty as the originl types of viruses. Mixed infection with SI and L produced a recombinant virus at relatively high frequencies. In the mixed infection with SI and G, unexpected recombinant types such as L and LI were produced in addition to GI recombinant. This suggests that G character may be determined by a combination of at least two cistrons which exhibit the L character when they function separately.