HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-1 CAPSID PROTEIN, VP21, ORIGINATES WITHIN THE UL26 OPEN READING FRAME

The goal of experiments reported here was to identify the genes that e ncode capsid proteins VP21 and VP24 of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HS V-1). Capsids were isolated from infected cells and the proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of part ial CNBr digestion products. and of intact VP21, showed that it is enc oded within the UL26 open reading frame (ORF) of HSV-1 beginning with codon 248 and probably extending to the end of the ORF (codon 635). Si milar analysis of digestion products confirmed that VP24 is specified by codons 1 to 247 at the 5' end of the UL26 ORF. Each of the seven kn own capsid proteins has now been assigned to an ORF.