Sequence analysis of thymidine kinase-defective mutants of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1).
We have amplified, cloned and sequenced the gene encoding the thymidine kinase (TK) of a wild-type strain (Ab4) of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) and two mutants with defective TK activity isolated for resistance to penciclovir (PCV). One of the mutants, PR1, has suffered a 879-bp deletion which reduces the size of TK to 180 bp. The other mutant, PR3, has an adenine to cytosine mutation resulting in a Lys38-->Thr change. This mutation modifies the amino acid sequence of a domain involved in binding ATP, leading to non-detectable enzymatic activity. Lys38 thus appears to be essential for the activity of the TK of EHV-1.
MRC Molecular Genetics, Cambridge, UK.
L M
LM
Corrochano
F
F
Madueño
H J
HJ
Field
R
R
de la Fuente
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D003673:Defective Viruses; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D013937:Thymidine Kinase