The herpes simplex virus amplicon. IV. Efficient expression of a chimeric chicken ovalbumin gene amplified within defective virus genomes.

cDNA sequences of the chicken ovalbumin gene were fused to an alpha (immediate early) promoter of herpes simplex virus and to genomic ovalbumin 3'-flanking sequences. The chimeric alpha-ovalbumin gene was introduced into defective virus genomes which were stably propagated in serially passaged virus stocks in the presence of helper virus. Analyses of polypeptides synthesized in cells infected with the resultant defective virus stocks revealed the abundant expression of the chimeric alpha-ovalbumin gene. The presence of introns was not essential for this expression.