Isolation and characterization of the growth-stimulating factor in supernatants of herpes simplex virus type 2...

Lytic infection of CV1 cells with herpes simplex virus type 2 does not stimulate ornithine decarboxylase activity and there is no correlation between polyamines and a growth-stimulating factor (GSF) which is present in the supernatant of the cultures. The factor was partially purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Gel filtration as well as dialysis through membranes with different pore diameters indicated a molecular weight between 3,500 and 10,000 daltons. GSF is not extracted from aqueous solutions by diethyl ether. The activity is partially sensitive to trypsin digestion and is completely destroyed by periodate oxidation. These results suggest that GSF is a glycoprotein or a glycopeptide whose mitogenic activity resides mainly in the sugar moiety.