title: Purification and photoaffinity labeling of herpes simplex virus type-1 thymidine kinase.
abstract: The molecular basis for the treatment of human herpesviruses with nucleoside drugs is the phosphorylation of these drugs by the viral-encoded thymidine kinases. In order to better understand the structural and enzymatic mechanisms by which herpesviral thymidine kinases recognize their substrates, photoaffinity labeling with [alpha-32P]5-azido-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate and [ gamma-32P]8-azidoadenosine-5'-triphosphate was used to characterize the thymidine, thymidylate, and ATP active sites of the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) thymidine kinase. For this study, HSV-1 thymidine kinase and a site-specific mutant enzyme (C336Y, known to confer acyclovir resistance) were expressed in bacteria and purified by a rapid, two-step protocol. The specificity of photoaffinity labeling of these HSV-1 thymidine kinases was demonstrated by the ability of site-directed substrates such as thymidine, thymidylate, acyclovir, 5-bromovinyl-2'-deoxyuridine, and ATP to inhibit photoinsertion. Differences in inhibition patterns of photoaffinity labeling correlated with kinetic differences between the wild-type and C336Y HSV-1 thymidine kinases. Cumulative results suggest that the acyclovir-resistant cysteine 336 mutation primarily affects the ATP binding site; yet it also leads to alteration in the binding affinity of nucleoside drugs in the thymidine site. In this study, azidonucleotide photoaffinity analogs are shown to be effective tools for studying the active-site environment of HSV-1 thymidine kinase and related site-specific mutants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Rechtin
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Drake
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D000345:Affinity Labels; D001386:Azides / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002460:Cell Line; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003856:Deoxyuracil Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D017354:Point Mutation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000345:Affinity Labels; D001386:Azides; D003856:Deoxyuracil Nucleotides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012265:Ribonucleotides; C092948:5-azido-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate; C017040:8-azidoadenosine 5'-triphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D013937:Thymidine Kinase