Re infectivity of naked viral DNA

[SOMERS at PICARD.EVMS.EDU]

The recent posting citing the article in Science 259:1745-49 as evidence
for infectivity of naked viral DNA does not demonstrate viral DNA infectivity.
Rather, if this is the paper I think it is (sorry I didnt look it up), the
paper reports the use of viral cDNA inserted into a plasmid vector and then
injected intramuscularly into an animal as a way to induce an immune response.
In this case the so called polynucleotide vaccine induced protection against
influenza.  This approach has been used in other systems as well.  This is
not the same as demonstration of infectivity of naked viral DNA in vivo.  
There is no evidence that the plasmid DNA with the influenza insert is
replicating in vivo; only expressing the inserted influenza cDNA.

Ken