SV40 DNA Replication

Just as some of the pioneers of molecular biology turned to bacteriophages because of their relative simplicity (Cairns et al. 1966), investigations into the molecular biology of eukaryotes has often relied on studies of viruses. One of these viruses, Simian Virus 40, (SV40) has been the focus of many seminal studies. The virus, tumorigenic in nonpermissive rodent cells, was crucial in the early studies of oncogenic transformation. Because the virus is permissive in both simian and human cells, it has become a superb tool for investigating human cell biology. Biological questions as diverse as intracellular targeting, transcription, and transformation have all taken advantage of studies on SV40. Similarly, research on human DNA replication has benefited greatly by using the SV40 system as a tool. SV40 has the additional property that its DNA is assembled into chromatin in a way similar to human chromosomal DNA. Hence, the system can be used to study not only DNA replication but also the concomitant process of chromatin assembly