Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 replication in temperature-sensitive cell cycle mutants

Herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA synthesis and infections progeny production were studied in five different conditional hamster (BHK-21) cell cycle mutants. At the nonpermissive temperature (39.5 degrees C), both events were strongly inhibited in four of these cell lines. The degree of inhibition was a reproducible characteristic of each cell mutant and in two cases was dependent upon the multiplicity of infection. Experiments involving shifts to the nonpermissive temperature at least 3 h postinfection at 33.5 degrees C suggested that the defects in viral replication were not due to faulty adsorption, penetration, or uncoating, whereas experiments involving shifts of infected cells from the nonpermissive temperature to 33.5 degrees C revealed the reversible nature of the inhibition.