Antigens of herpes simplex virus of oral and genital origin.

The serological distinction between herpesviruses of oral or genital origin has been unequivocally shown by Schneweis (26), Plummer (21), and others (3, 20). Biological studies on the characterization of the 2 viruses have, in general, supported the idea of 2 discrete clusters. The 2 types behave differently in tissue culture held under particu lar conditions (5, 14, 15, 23) and the behavior of the 2 types on the chorioallantoic membranes of eggs of hens likewise supports the existence of 2 groups (19), but some studies indicate that there may be intermediate types (4). Clear-cut differences are obvious when comparing the acid-extractable proteins of the 2 types of virus (8) and some virus-speci fied enzymes appear to differ in their physical characteris tics (32). Indeed, differences can be detected in the DNA's