A DNA-nicking activity associated with the nucleocapsid of human cytomegalovirus

Abstract
Summary Purified human cytomegalovirus nucleocapsids are able to transform supercoiled plasmid DNA into nicked circular DNA. The activity exhibits a ionic strength optimum of 0.15 M; has a broad pH and temperature depencence and is enhanced after pre-incubation of the nucleocapsids with NP40.