title: Characterization of a spontaneous drug-resistant mutant of monkey B virus (Macacine herpesvirus 1).
abstract: Monkey B virus (Macacine herpesvirus 1; BV) is an alpha-herpesvirus of macaques that causes serious infections in humans. A spontaneous mutant resistant to penciclovir (PCV) was isolated. Several genes were sequenced to identify mutations potentially responsible for PCV resistance. A single nucleotide deletion in the thymidine kinase (TK) gene was identified. To confirm its role in PCV resistance, several TK recombinants were constructed. A TK-deletion virus and a recombinant carrying the mutation were both resistant to PCV, while a revertant was PCV-sensitive. These results demonstrate that spontaneous drug-resistant mutants of BV do occur and that the BV TK is responsible for sensitivity to PCV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
authors.forename: Darla H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Lara K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eberle
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D006147:Guanine; D006568:Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D014764:Viral Proteins; C053539:penciclovir; D006147:Guanine; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D000212:Acyclovir