RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Griffiths, Rhoswyn A1 Harrison, Sally M. A1 Macnab, Stuart A1 Whitehouse, AdrianYR 2008 T1 Mapping the minimal regions within the ORF73 protein required for herpesvirus saimiri episomal persistence JF Journal of General Virology, VO 89 IS 11 SP 2843 OP 2850 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.2008/002725-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) establishes a persistent infection in which the viral genome persists as a circular non-integrated episome. ORF73 tethers HVS episomes to host mitotic chromosomes, allowing episomal persistence via an interaction with the chromosome-associated protein, MeCP2. Here we demonstrate that ORF73 also interacts with the linker histone H1 via its C terminus, suggesting it associates with multiple chromosome-associated proteins. In addition, we show that the C terminus is also required for the ability of ORF73 to bind the terminal repeat region of the HVS genome. These results suggest that the ORF73 C terminus contains all the necessary elements required for HVS episomal persistence. Using a range of ORF73 C terminus deletions to rescue the episomal maintenance properties of a HVSΔ73 recombinant virus, we show that a C terminus region comprising residues 285–407 is sufficient to maintain the HVS episome in a dividing cell population., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.2008/002725-0