| Studies to elucidate the mechanism of parvoviral replication are ongoing due to their potential as transient vectors for human gene therapy. Parvovirus LuIII, a single stranded DNA virus, has short double-stranded hairpin structures at the 3'and 5' ends which serve as primers for replication. A replication origin at the left terminus has been characterized, yet a replication origin at the right terminus has not been identified. Homology of an A/T rich region at the 5' terminus of LuIII with the autonomously replicating sequences of yeast, suggests a replication origin function. To determine if the A/T sequence could function as an origin of replication in higher eukaryotic cells, a plasmid lacking an origin of replication and containing the reporter gene DsRed2 and the A/T sequence was constructed and transfected into HeLa cells. The results revealed a replication origin function for the LuIII A/T sequence. |
