Method for isolation and selection of temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus

Abstract

A method for induction and selection of temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus is presented. After the infected cells were treated with 5-bromodeoxyuridine, the virus was extracted by repeated freezing and thawing and cloned in microcultures which were then incubated at permissive temperature until viral plaques appeared. The microcultures were then replicated at nonpermissive temperature. Clones not forming plaques in these latter were further purified and examined for temperature-sensitive characteristics. Viral clones mutated in plaque-forming ability or in yield were obtained and preliminarily characterized.