title: Preliminary characterization of a mutant of herpes simplex virus type 1 selected for acycloguanosine resistance in vitro.
abstract: In this paper we report on the preliminary characterization of a mutant of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) selected for acycloguanosine (acyclovir, ACV) resistance in vitro. The ACVr virus was examined for a series of parameters that include chemosensitivity assay, thymidine kinase (TK) activity, in vitro and in vivo growth, and mutation mapping. The data obtained indicate that a mutated TK gene is responsible for the ACVr phenotype. A distinctive feature of this mutant is the high level of resistance exhibited to ACV (100 microM) and the concomitant presence of a functional TK activity. Such a property makes this virus useful as a model for the study of viral resistance to nucleoside-type analogues in HSV.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Padova University School of Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palú
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valisena
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tognon
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D000212:Acyclovir