A DNA binding protein specific for an origin of replication of herpes simplex virus type 1.

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Abstract
We have identified a protein that binds specifically to an origin of replication (oriS) of the herpes simplex virus type I genome. The oriS binding protein, detectable only in nuclear extracts of infected cells, shows the same time course of appearance as the herpesvirus-induced DNA polymerase and the DNA binding protein ICP8. The partially purified oriS binding protein generates a DNase I "footprint" that spans 18-of the 90-base-pair minimal oriS sequence. The oriS binding protein may, therefore, be analogous to other origin-specific binding proteins that are required for the initiation of viral and chromosomal DNA replication.