Typing of herpes simplex virus strains by analysis of the early proteins

In Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infected cells treated with the arginine analogue canavanine, early (alpha -) viral proteins accumulate and show a typical pattern in the acrylamide gel. This paper investigates the possibility of using this pattern for typing of HSV strains. Twenty strains were analyzed by this method and results were compared with typing by neutralization test. For 18 strains both methods agreed. Two strains regarded as intermediary strains by neutralization test could be clearly typed by the analysis of the early proteins.