title: [The relationship between gene function and virulence in alpha-herpesviruses].
abstract: Virulent alpha-herpesvirus genes, though not essential for virus replication in cell culture, play important roles in virus replication in vivo. In this paper, I classify the virulent genes and discuss the relationship between gene function and virulence. The products of the virulent genes of herpes simplex virus, described in this paper, are enzymes (thymidine kinase, ribonucleotide reductase, deoxyuridine triphosphatase, DNA polymerase, and two protein kinases), glycoproteins (gC, gE), immediate early gene product (ICP47) and gamma 34.5. To identify the virulent genes of varicellazoster virus, mutation in the Oka vaccine strain was studied. The low levels of gV expression and mutation found in the immediate early gene were predicted as the cause of the attenuation of the Oka vaccine strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Asahikawa Medical College.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzutani
mesh_terms: D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication