Nucleotide sequence of a fragment of SV40 DNA that contains the origin of DNA replication and specifies the 5' ends of "early" and "late" viral RNA. IV. Localization of the SV40 DNA complementary to the 5' ends of viral mRNA.

Cytoplasmic mRNA isolated from cells infected with SV40 was isolated by passage over oligo(dT)-cellulose columns. This RNA was annealed to SV40 DNA fragments produced by cleavage with EcoRII endonuclease. The RNA resistant to RNase digestion was analyzed by digestion with ribonucleases and oligonucleotide mapping. The results were compared with oligonucleotides from in vitro transcripts of the fragments and with whole genome SV40 cRNA which had been fractionated by hybridization to the fragments. The 5' ends of "early" and the large "late" SV40 mRNA, transcribed from opposite DNA strands, overlap for a region of 60 to 100 nucleotides. The region of overlap includes a portion of the segment of DNA containing the origin of DNA replication.