Mechanism of infection by Epstein-Barr virus II. Comparison of viral DNA from HR-1 and superinfected raji cells by restriction enzymes

Abstract

Virus DNA (RS virus DNA) was directly isolated from Raji cells superinfected with Epstein-Barr virus derived from P3HR-1 cells and compared with original superinfecting virus DNA from P3HR-1 cells (HR-1 virus DNA) in agarose-gel electrophoresis after digestion with various restriction enzymes. EcoR-1 digestion of RS virus DNA produced 15 fragments identical to those from HR-1 virus DNA. However, two fragments, EcoR1 No. 6 (10 × 10 6 daltons) and EcoR1 No. 11 (4.6 × 10 6 daltons), observed in HR-1 virus DNA were not detected in RS virus DNA from superinfected Raji cells. In addition, the EcoR1 No. 4 (13.5 × 10 6 daltons) fragment of RS virus DNA showed a molar ratio of 2 whereas HR-1 virus DNA produced the same fragment with a molar ratio of 1. Electrophoresis patterns of virus DNA digested with Hind III, Bam H-I, Hpa I, and Sal I were also examined. In general, both types of virus DNA produced similar patterns after gel electrophoresis, with minor differences in molar ratios after being treated with the restriction enzymes suggesting that RS virus DNA obtained by superinfection of Raji cells is basically identical to HR-1 virus DNA but may contain a population of DNA a little more heterogenous than HR-1 virus DNA.