A human chromosomal determinant for susceptibility to herpes simplex virus

Chronic herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus infection

After defining such terms as persistent and chronic infection, latency, recurrence, recrudescence, and exogenous reinfection they are applied to infections with HSV and VZV. Possible factors determining pathogenicity are discussed, and an overview is given of the wide range of illnesses and case reports ascribed to HSV and VZV infections. Various types of infection afford different diagnostic procedures. Besides virus isolation supplemented by viral antigen identification IgG antibody tests (increase in titer) may be useful. IgG subtype and IgA antibody determinations appear to be of limited value. Despite the rather large number of available tests, there are still considerable shortcomings in their ultimate significance as to the patient's disease. Thus, some new experimental approaches are mentioned.

The eye and the chromosome

The first linkage of disease traits on the human X-chromosome was reported in 1937, and the first assignment of a human disease to an autosome was made 26 years later in 1963. Now, after only 19 years, there are at least 338 assignments to loci on the human chromosome map. This amazing expansion of information extends to eye diseases. In this review, basic mechanisms of mutation are discussed, and the basic methodologies used for gene assignments are explained. All of the eye-related, definite, autosomal assignments are presented. The diseases that have regional assignments on the X-chromosome are discussed, and the remaining X-linked eye diseases are listed in table form.

A nonrandom chromosomal abnormality, del 3p(14-23), in human small cell lung cancer (SCLC)

In order to determine whether or not there are specific chromosomal changes in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), karyotypic analyses of 16 continuous SCLC tissue culture lines, three fresh tumor specimens (bone marrow), one direct preparation of bone marrow involved with SCLC, and two lymphoblastoid lines derived from SCLC patients were studied. Cell lines were derived from primary tumor, or metastases to bone marrow, subcutaneous nodules, or pleural fluid; all 16 lines had biochemical and histologic properties characteristic of SCLC. Of the 15 males and 3 females, 6 patients had no prior treatment. All of the 16 cell lines, the 3 fresh specimens, and the direct bone marrow preparation had a common deletion of the short arm of chromosome #3. Use of the shortest region of overlap analysis showed the common deletion was of the short arm in the regions p(14-23). This specific chromosomal abnormality, del 3p, was not found in five non-SCLC cell lines studied and is of major potential biological and diagnostic importance.

Coronavirus 229E susceptibility in man-mouse hybrids is located on human chromosome 15

Human coronavirus 229E, n enveloped, RNA-containing virus, causes respiratory illness in man and is serologically related to murine coronavirus JHM, which causes acute and chronic demyelination in rodents. 229E displays a species-specific host range restriction whose genetic basis was studied in human-mouse hybrids. 229E replicated in human WI-38 cells but not in three mouse cell lines tested (RAG, LM/TK-, and A9). Human coronavirus sensitivity (HCVS) was expressed as a dominant phenotype in hybrids, indicating that mouse cells do not actively suppress 229E replication. HCVS segregated concordantly with the human chromosome 15 enzyme markers mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) and the muscle form of pyruvate kinase (PKM2), and analysis of hybrids containing an X/15 translocation [t(X;15)(p11;q11)] localized HCVS to the q11 leads to qter region of chromosome 15. HCVS might code for a specific surface receptor, allowing 229E to be absorbed to and received within the host cell.

Requirement of the human chromosome 11 long arm for replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 in nonpermissive Chinese hamster x human diploid fibroblast hybrids

Somatic cell hybrids between Chinese hamster (CH) lung cells (V79/380-6), nonpermissive for productive infection by herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), and permissive human diploid cells support productive HSV-1 infection as long as they retain human chromosome 11. Human chromosome 3 has been reported to complement nonpermissivity in (CH) Don cells (1). Intraspecies hybrids between Don/a3 and V79/380-6 cells, however, did not support HSV-1 replication, indicating lack of complementation. The block in both nonpermissive CH cell lines was determined to involve a step beyond replication of the parental viral DNA. In cell hybrids between nonpermissive Don/a23 cells and human fibroblasts containing a t(11;15) (p11;p12) translocation, HSV-1 production was dependent solely on the presence of either human chromosome 11 or the der(11) (p11 leads to qter) translocation product containing the long arm of chromosome 11. Chromosome 3 was excluded by a discordancy rate of 59%. We conclude that the long arm of human chromosome 11 carries one or more genes coding for host functions necessary for the production of progeny HSV-1 DNA.

Restriction of herpes simplex virus by Ama 1 cells. An analysis of viral macromolecule synthesis

Ama 1 cells, and alpha-amanitin-resistant subline of CHO cells, restricted herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 replication. The infection was characterized by i) induction of typical cytopathology; ii) appearance of all the major virus proteins, glycoproteins and DNA earlier than in HEp-2 cells, followed by shut off of virus macromolecule synthesis; iii) defective maturation of viral particles, i.e. scarce assembly and lack of envelopment. The early shut off of viral DNA and protein synthesis, and the altered glycoprotein pattern may account for herpes simplex virus restriction.