LIMITED VARIABILITY OF GLYCOPROTEIN GENE-SEQUENCES AND NEUTRALIZING TARGETS IN HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-2 ISOLATES AND STABILITY ON PASSAGE IN CELL-CULTURE

Nucleotide sequence analyses of polymerase chain reaction-amplified ge nes were performed to determine whether adaptation of herpes simplex v irus type 2 to replication in cultured cells or in internal organs dur ing neonatal disseminated disease results in selection of variants wit h altered forms of three glycoproteins (gB, gC, or gD) that influence virus entry into cells. No variations in sequence were noted as a cons equence of in vitro passage or replication in different organs. Five v iruses from different subjects differed with respect to gB, gC, and gD gene sequences, expressing four distinct forms of gB,three of gC, and two of gD. These differences did not confer resistance to neutralizat ion by guinea pig or human antisera from subjects immunized with recom binant gB or gD vaccines and may not be consequential for vaccine deve lopment.