Closed circular viral DNA and asymmetrical heterogeneous forms in livers from animals infected with ground squirrel hepatitis virus

Abstract
To identify possible intermediates in the replication of ground squirrel hepatitis virus, major forms of intracelluar virus-specific DNA in the livers of infected ground squirrels were characterized. A variety of DNA species were found: covalently closed circular molecules, relaxed circular molecules and a heterogeneous collection of molecules that migrated ahead of closed circuit DNA during agarose gel electrophoresis. The heterogeneous DNA was at least partly single stranded, consisted of minus strands in a > 8-fold mass excess of plus strands and was tightly associated with protein.