Identification of a transforming fragment of herpes simplex type 2 and detection thereof in clinical specimens

A method of detecting HSV-2 nucleic acid that specifically hybridizes to Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2 nucleic acid in a sample comprising:

• (a) contacting said sample with two different nucleic acid molecules, wherein each nucleic acid molecule is an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected within the predicted open reading frame of Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2 consisting of at least 15 nucleotides which specifically hybridizes to RNA or DNA encoding Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is, or is complementary to, a nucleotide sequence consisting of at least 15 consecutive nucleotides within the predicted open reading frame of Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2, under conditions such that a target sequence between said two different nucleic acid molecules is amplified from said sample;
• and
• (b) detecting the presence of said HSV-2 nucleic acid that specifically hybridizes to Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2 nucleic acid.

A purified polypeptide encoded by the open reading frame of Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2 comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide encoded by the open reading frame of Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2 comprising the complete amino acid sequence defined in SEQ. ID. No.:2, wherein the polypeptide generates antibodies having specific binding affinity for the polypeptide encoded by the open reading frame of Xho-2 subfragment of BglII fragment of HSV-2 comprising the complete amino acid sequence defined in SEQ ID NO:2.

A purified polypeptide encoded by the open reading frame of Xho-2 subfragment of BglII N fragment of HSV-2 comprising the complete amino acid sequence defined in SEQ. ID. No.:2.