The kinetics of expression of individual herpes simplex virus type 1 transcripts.

We have used specific single-stranded DNA probes cloned in M13 to analyze the kinetics of expression of 20 individual herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) transcripts, most of known function. The three alpha transcripts studied all differ in the details of their shut-off. There are at least three groups of beta or early transcripts which differ both in the time of their maximum rate of synthesis and in the time of their shut off. Similarly late (beta gamma and gamma) transcripts form a complex group all of which share the fact that their rates of synthesis reach a maximum at a time when beta transcripts are being shut off.