Uninfected cell polymerase efficiently transcribes early but not late herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNA.

Abstract
The sequences of the DNA encoding the 5'' ends of 1 early and 1 late herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNA were analyzed and the 5'' ends of these mRNA species were precisely located. Neither mRNA species is spliced and the noncoding strand of the DNA contains recognizable T-A-T-A and C-A-T boxes upstream from their respective 5'' ends. The early mRNA was efficiently transcribed by a commercially available uninfected [human cervical carcinoma HeLa] cell lysate system, but the late mRNA was not. This difference between early and late mRNA appears to be general in this virus.