Abstract:
The replication of simian virus 40 (SV40) in infected CV1 cells occurs at the nuclear matrix. The replication of SV40 can be synchronized by controlled hypoxia in vivo by arresting 'ready-to-start' replicons, which will initiate replication synchronously after reoxygenation. In these experiments, matrix-associated and thereby nuclease-resistant DNA of SV40-infected CV1 cells was isolated and analyzed. During the process of replication, the matrix-associated and thereby nuclease-protected domains of SV40 DNA should change.
Different methods for the preparation of matrix-associated SV40 DNA sequences were examined. During the preparation the greatest part of the DNA and the nuclear proteins were removed by nucleases and high salt extraction. The remaining nuclease-protected DNA was examined for size and portion of SV40 specific sequences by electrophoresis and consecutive autoradiography of g[32P]-ATP endlabeled preparations and by southern blotting, respectively. Different methods removed between 95 and 99 of the DNA. 95 of this isolated, nuclease-resistant DNA had a length of more than 2 kB, whereas only 5 had a length of 80 to 250 bp.
The SV40-specific DNA was comprised mostly of complete viral genomes. Isolation of different topological forms and its nuclease resistance indicated, that the DNA most likely was already packed into viral particles and that these particles were anchored to the protein matrix. After treatment with proteinase K the DNA lost its nuclease resistance.
The nuclease-resistant DNA of euoxic (unsynchronized), hypoxic and for variable times reoxygenated (i.e. synchronized) SV40-infected CV1 cells was endlabeled with g[32P]-ATP and hybridized against membrane-bound and defined fragments of the SV40 genome. After normalizing the lengths of the membrane-bound SV40 fragments no significant differences could be detected in hybridization signals between the differently pretreated SV40-infected CV1 cells.