Studies on the replication of KRV single-stranded linear DNA

Abstract

The autonomous parvovirus, Kilham rat virus (KRV), is composed of three structural proteins (Salzman & White, 1970) and a single molecule of DNA. The DNA molecule is linear and single-stranded (ss). It is believed to have both 3' and 5'-terminal palindromic sequences (Salzman, 1977). Replication of the ss DNA may involve double-stranded (ds) DNA intermediates of one unit length as found in the virion or multiple length concatamers (Salzman & White, 1973; Gunther & May, 1976; Lavelle & Li, 1977). We have attempted to determine when the synthesis of KRV ds DNA can be determined in synchronized infected cells and the structure of the ds DNA molecules.