Inactivation of T antigen-forming capacites of simian virus 40 and adenovirus 12 by ultraviolet irradiation.

Methods to measure T antigen-forming capacities of simian virus 40 (SV40) and adenovirus 12 (Ad12) were investigated, and a method to measure the capacity in terms of T antigen-forming units was employed by the use of cytosine arabinoside. Plaque-forming units and T antigen-forming units of SV40, SV40 deoxyribonucleic acid, or Ad12 were inactivated by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at the same rate, roughly following a single-hit curve. T-antigen formation by UV-irradiated SV40 and Ad12 was enhanced in cells multiply infected and in cells in a growing state. These observations showed that it was difficult or impossible to estimate the size of the gene for T antigen by UV inactivation.