title: Substrate specificity of three viral thymidine kinases (TK): vaccinia virus TK, feline herpesvirus TK, and canine herpesvirus TK.
abstract: In search of novel suicide gene candidates we have cloned and characterized thymidine kinases from three viruses; vaccinia virus TK (VVTK), feline herpesvirus TK (FHV-TK), and canine herpesvirus TK (CHV-TK). Our studies showed that VVTK primarily is a thymidine kinase, with a substrate specificity mainly restricted to dThd and only minor affinity for dCyd. VVTK also is related closely to mammalian thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), with 66% identity and 75% general homology. Although CHV-TK and FHV-TK are sequence related to herpes simplex virus types 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK), with 31% and 35% identity and a general similarity of 54%, the substrate specificity of these enzymes was restricted to dThd and thymidine analogs.
authors.affiliation: Mitochondrial Medicine Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. nicola.solaroli@ki.se
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Solaroli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balzarini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karlsson
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000201:enzymology*; D002184:Herpesvirus 1, Canid / Q000201:enzymology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000201:enzymology; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009703:Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase / Q000737:chemistry; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013045:Species Specificity; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000737:chemistry*; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000201:enzymology*; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; C099241:thymidine kinase, Canid herpesvirus 1; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; C092717:thymidine kinase 1; D009703:Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase