We have used a novel filter hybridization approach to detect and map the herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA sequences which are present in four HSV thymidine kinase (HSVtk+)-transformed cell lines which were derived by exposure of thymidine kinase negative (tk-) mouse cells to UV light-irradiated HSV type 2 (HSV-2). In addition, we have mapped the HSV-1 DNA sequences which are present in two HSV-1tk+-transformed cell lines produced by transfection of tk- mouse cells with sheared HSV-1 DNA. The results of these studies can be summarized as follows. (i) The only HSV DNA sequences which were common to all HSVtk+-transformed cells were those located between map coordinates 0.28 and 0.32. Thus, this region contains all of the viral DNA sequences which are necessary for the expression of HSV-mediated tk transformation. (ii) Many of the cell lines also contained variable amounts of non-tk gene viral DNA sequences located between map coordinates 0.11 to 0.57 and 0.82 to 1.00, suggesting that incorporation of the viral DNA sequences located between these map coordinates is a relatively random event. (iii) The viral DNA sequences located between map coordinates 0 to 0.11 and 0.57 to 0.82 were uniformly absent from all of the HSVtk+ cell lines tested, suggesting that there is a strong negative selective pressure against incorporation of these viral DNA sequences.