PET imaging of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) or mutant HSV1-sr39tk reporter gene expression in mice and humans using [18F]FHBG

The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) positron emission tomography (PET) reporter gene (PRG) or its mutant HSV1-sr39tk are used to investigate intracellular molecular events in cultured cells and to image intracellular molecular events and cell trafficking in living subjects. The expression of these PRGs can be imaged using 18F- or 124I-radiolabeled acycloguanosine or pyrimidine analog PET reporter probes (PRPs). This protocol describes the procedures for imaging HSV1-tk or HSV1-sr39tk PRG expression in living subjects with the acycloguanosine analog 9-4-[18F]fluoro-3-(hydroxymethyl)butyl]guanine ([18F]FHBG). [18F]FHBG is a high-affinity substrate for the HSV1-sr39TK enzyme with relatively low affinity for mammalian TK enzymes, resulting in improved detection sensitivity. Furthermore, [18F]FHBG is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as an investigational new imaging agent and has been shown to detect HSV1-tk transgene expression in the liver tumors of patients. MicroPET imaging of each small animal can be completed in approximately 1.5 h, and each patient imaging session takes approximately 3 h.     

Imaging expression of cytosine deaminase-herpes virus thymidine kinase fusion gene (CD/TK) expression with [124I]FIAU and PET

Double prodrug activation gene therapy using the Escherichia coli cytosine deaminase (CD)-herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) fusion gene (CD/TK) with 5-fluorocytosine (5FC), ganciclovir (GCV), and radiotherapy is currently under evaluation for treatment of different tumors. We assessed the efficacy of noninvasive imaging with [124I]FIAU (2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-iodo-uracil) and positron emission tomography (PET) for monitoring expression of the CD/TK fusion gene. Walker-256 tumor cells were transduced with a retroviral vector bearing the CD/TK gene (W256CD/TK cells). The activity of HSV1-TK and CD subunits of the CD/TK gene product was assessed in different single cell-derived clones of W256CD/TK cells using the FIAU radiotracer accumulation assay in cells and a CD enzyme assay in cell homogenates, respectively. A linear relationship was observed between the levels of CD and HSV1-tk subunit expression in corresponding clones in vitro over a wide range of CD/TK expression levels. Several clones of W256CD/TK cells with significantly different levels of CD/TK expression were selected and used to produce multiple subcutaneous tumors in rats. PET imaging of HSV1-TK subunit activity with [124I]FIAU was performed on these animals and demonstrated that different levels of CD/TK expression in subcutaneous W256CD/TK tumors can be imaged quantitatively. CD expression in subcutaneous tumor sample homogenates was measured using a CD enzyme assay. A comparison of CD and HSV1-TK subunit enzymatic activity of the CD/TK fusion protein in vivo showed a significant correlation. Knowing this relationship, the parametric images of CD subunit activity were generated. Imaging with [124I]FIAU and PET could provide pre- and posttreatment assessments of CD/TK-based double prodrug activation in clinical gene therapy trials.     

Studying the biodistribution of positron emission tomography reporter probes in mice

Positron emission tomography (PET) reporter probes (PRPs) are used to detect PET reporter gene (PRG) expression in living subjects. This article details protocols for analyzing the biodistribution of a PRP used to detect herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) or mutant HSV1-sr39tk PRG expression. However, the methods described are generalizable to other beta- or gamma/positron-emitting probes. Accumulation of PRPs in animal tissues can be determined by counting PRP activity of isolated tissues, whereas digital whole-body autoradiography (DWBA) provides high-resolution images of PRP biodistribution in 5- to 45-microm tissue slices of killed research animals at a single time point. Biodistribution assay results may be obtained in less than a week after beginning the assay, and DWBA image acquisitions can take up to 3 months depending on the probe's radioisotope.     

Multitracer positron emission tomographic imaging of exogenous gene expression mediated by a universal herpes simplex virus 1 amplicon vector

To develop efficient and safe gene therapy approaches, the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene (HSV-1-tk) has been shown to function as a marker gene for the direct noninvasive in vivo localization of thymidine kinase (TK) expression by positron emission tomography (PET) using radiolabeled nucleoside analogues as specific TK substrates. Moreover, the gene encoding dopamine type 2 receptor (d2r) could be used as a PET marker gene using specific radiolabeled receptor binding compounds. Here we describe the quantitative colocalization of d2r and HSV-1-tk gene expression mediated from a universal HSV-1 amplicon vector in a subcutaneous human Gli36dEGFR glioma model by PET. The HSV-1 amplicon vector was constructed using a bicistronic gene cassette to contain (1) the d2r80A mutant, which is able to bind its ligand racloprid but unable to activate downstream signal transduction pathways, and (2) the tk39 mutant with enhanced enzymatic activity toward guanosine analogues fused to the green fluorescent protein gene (tk39gfp) serving as a marker gene in cell culture. After infection of human Gli36dEGFR glioma cells with the HSV-d2r80AIREStk39gfp (HSV-DITG) amplicon vector in cell culture, D2 receptor expression and its targeting to the cell surface were determined by Western blotting and immunolabeling. Vector application in vivo served for quantitative colocalization of d2r80A- and tk39gfp-derived PET signals employing the specific D2 receptor binding compound [(11)C]racloprid and the specific TK39 substrate 9-(4-[(18)F]fluoro-3-hydroxymethylbutyl)guanine. Our results demonstrate that for the range of gene expression studied in vivo, both enzymatic and receptor binding assays give comparable quantitative information on the level of vector-mediated gene expression in vivo. The d2r80A in combination with a specific binding compound passing the intact blood-brain barrier might be an alternative marker gene for the noninvasive assessment of vector-mediated gene expression in the brain using PET.     

Genetic transformation of somatic cells. VI. Transfer of the trait of the rate of loss of transformant phenotype by means of DNA from cells containing the thymidine kinase gene of the herpes simplex virus

Using dot-hybridization with thymidine kinase gene (tk gene) of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1) of DNA preparations obtained from isolated metaphase chromosomes and lysate fractions of metaphase cells, which presumably contain smaller particles compared to metaphase chromosomes, it has been shown that the tk gene of HSV 1 is localized in chromosomes of cells of transformant clones unstable in TK+-phenotype. The DNA isolated from the metaphase chromosomes from cells of transformant clones is 1.5- or 2-fold more efficient in transforming TK-Chinese hamster cells than is the total high molecular weight DNA from the same cells. Upon transformation of TK- cells by the high molecular weight DNA from the tk gene of HSV 1-containing clones, varying in the rate of the loss of TK+-phenotypes, the character "rate of the loss of transformant phenotype" is transferred together with the tk gene of HSV 1 in 22% of cases. Cells of rerevertant clones, produced from TK- subclones of transformant clones, display the rate of the loss of transformant phenotype characteristic of cells of parental TK+-clones. A comparison of the results allows a conclusion that DNA sequences, determining the character "rate of the loss of transformant phenotype", are linked tightly with the transforming DNA proper containing the tk gene of HSV 1, but are not localized inside such a DNA.     

Targeting of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Thymidine Kinase Gene Sequences into the OCT4 Locus of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The in vitro differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) to generate specific types of cells is inefficient, and the remaining undifferentiated cells may form teratomas. This raises safety concerns for clinical applications of hiPSC-derived cellular products. To improve the safety of hiPSC, we attempted to site-specifically insert a herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) suicide gene at the endogenous OCT4 (POU5F1) locus of hiPSC. Since the endogenous OCT4 promoter is active in undifferentiated cells only, we speculated that the HSV1-TK suicide gene will be transcribed in undifferentiated cells only and that the remaining undifferentiated cells can be depleted by treating them with the prodrug ganciclovir (GCV) prior to transplantation. To insert the HSV1-TK gene at the OCT4 locus, we cotransfected hiPSC with a pair of plasmids encoding an OCT4-specific zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) and a donor plasmid harboring a promoter-less transgene cassette consisting of HSV1-TK and puromycin resistance gene sequences, flanked by OCT4 gene sequences. Puromycin resistant clones were established and characterized regarding their sensitivity to GCV and the site of integration of the HSV1-TK/puromycin resistance gene cassette. Of the nine puromycin-resistant iPSC clones analyzed, three contained the HSV1-TK transgene at the OCT4 locus, but they were not sensitive to GCV. The other six clones were GCV-sensitive, but the TK gene was located at off-target sites. These TK-expressing hiPSC clones remained GCV sensitive for up to 90 days, indicating that TK transgene expression was stable. Possible reasons for our failed attempt to selectively target the OCT4 locus are discussed.     

Trigeminal ganglion infection by thymidine kinase-negative mutants of herpes simplex virus after in vivo complementation.

Infection of trigeminal ganglion by herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase-negative (TK-) mutants was investigated in mixed infection studies in mice. Mice were corneally inoculated with TK- HSV alone or with mixtures of TK- HSV-TK+ HSV. When inoculated alone, an arabinosylthymine-selected HSV type 1 TK- mutant and a HSV type 2 TK- deletion mutant infected mouse ocular tissues but rarely infected ganglion tissues. However, both TK- mutants readily infected ganglion tissues when they were inoculated in mixtures with TK+ HSV. By means of mixed infection studies, it was demonstrated that TK- HSV could readily establish acute and latent ganglion infections. It was thought that the frequent infection of trigeminal ganglion tissue by both TK- mutants after mixed TK(-)-TK+ HSV infection was the result of in vivo complementation. After mixed TK(-)-TK+ HSV infection and subsequent cultivation of ganglion explants in arabinosylthymine, results supported the conclusion that when TK- was present in ganglia it was in the same neurons that contained TK+ HSV.     

A herpes simplex virus 1 integration site in the mouse genome defined by somatic cell genetic analysis.

Transfection experiments with HSV 1 in which one uses herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (TK) as a selectable prototrophic marker yield two classes of transformed cells: stable and unstable. In this report, we test the hypothesis that the stability phenotype can be explained by virus genome integration into a recipient cell chromosome. The method of analysis is by means of somatic cell genetics. We have isolated a series of microcell hybrids between a TK- Chinese hamster cell line and a transformed mouse cell line expressing the TK encoded by HSV 1. Several of the hybrid lines contain a single murine chromosome and express only the viral TK. Karyotypic analysis of these hybrids and of TK- derivatives generated by BrdUrd counterselection reveals that the TK+ phenotype is correlated with the presence of the terminal portion of the long arm of a specific murine chromosome. Results of extensive isozyme analyses of the hybrids and their TK- segregants fully corroborate the karyologic data. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the viral tk gene is covalently integrated into this chromosomal region which itself does not appear to carry the endogenous murine tk locus. Other more complicated models are discussed. Our findings also show that somatic cell genetics can be used to localize viral integration sites in host chromosomes with high resolution.     

Genetic transformation of somatic cells. IX. The loss of the transformant phenotype is accompanied by rearrangements in the plasmid DNA containing the thymidine kinase gene of the herpes virus

As demonstrated by dot-hybridization, the cells of HT-subclones isolated from the cells of transformant clones cultured on a non-selective medium differ significantly in the number of copies of thymidine kinase gene (tk-gene) of Herpes simplex virus (HSV1). Since the cells of transformant clones lose thymidine kinase-positive (TK+) phenotype during cultivation, this data are indicative of high frequence rearrangements in the region of transforming DNA as responsible for the transformant phenotype nonstability. These rearrangements, among other things, induce alterations in the number of copies of tk gene of HSV1. The analysis of cells of subclones isolated on a medium containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) shows that the number of copies of tk gene of HSV1 decreases as compared to the cells of parental clones. The decrease in the number of copies of tk gene of HSV1 in a row of BrdU-resistant subclones is accompanied by simultaneous increase in the number of sequences of pBR325 plasmide DNA to which tk gene of HSV1 is linked covalently in the pST826 plasmide introduced into cells of transformant clones. This evidence implies a most complex nature of transforming DNA rearrangements reducing the number of copies of tk gene of HSV1 due possibly to a genetic correction. The analysis of results permits a hypothesis that instability of cells in transformant phenotype may be determined by the genetic instability of insertion type. The rate of the loss of transformant phenotype depends on the frequency of rearrangements in the transforming DNA locus.     

Genetic transformation of somatic cells. VIII. The effect of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine on the stability of thymidine kinase-negative and -positive phenotypes of transformant clone cells

A study was made of the effect of an DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (azaC) on the frequency of reversion to a thymidine kinase-positive (TK+) phenotype in 5-bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU)-resistant subclones obtained from clones of Chinese hamster cells transformed by thymidine kinase gene (tk-gene) of Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1). It is shown that in 8 of 15 BrdU-resistant subclones azaC increases 2-1000-fold the frequency of reversion to TK+ phenotype. Variations in the inducibility of reversions to TK+ phenotype indicate that the DNA methylation associated with TK- phenotype affects but differently tk gene of HSV1. Cultivation of TK+ cells of transformant clones in the presence of azaC may lead to stabilization (or decrease in the rate of the loss) of TK+ phenotype, or may not influence the stability of transformant phenotype. The reaction of TK+ cells of transformant clones depends both on genetically determined rate of the loss of TK+ phenotype, and on the structure of transforming DNA introduced to cells. A conclusion is drawn that the TK- phenotype of transformant clone cells arises due to processes which are not associated with methylation of tk gene of HSV1 in spite of the fact that such a methylation may later stabilize significantly the TK- phenotype.     

Biochemical and structural characterization of (South)-methanocarbathymidine that specifically inhibits growth of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase-transduced osteosarcoma cells

Two analogs of the natural nucleoside dT featuring a pseudosugar with fixed conformation in place of the deoxyribosyl residue (carbathymidine analogs) were biochemically and structurally characterized for their acceptance by both human cytosolic thymidine kinase isoenzyme 1 (hTK1) and herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1 TK) and subsequently tested in cell proliferation assays. 3'-exo-Methanocarbathymidine ((South)-methanocarbathymidine (S)-MCT), which is a substrate for HSV1 TK, specifically inhibited growth of HSV1 TK-transduced human osteosarcoma cells with an IC(50) value in the range of 15 microM without significant toxicity toward both hTK1-negative (TK(-)) and non-transduced cells. 2'-exo-Methanocarbathymidine ((North)-methanocarbathymidine (N)-MCT), which is a weak substrate for hTK1 and a substantial one for HSV1 TK, induced a specific growth inhibition in HSV1 TK-transfected cells comparable to that of (S)-MCT and ganciclovir. A growth inhibition activity was also observed with (N)-MCT and ganciclovir in non-transduced cells in a cell line-dependent manner, whereas TK(-) cells were not affected. The presented 1.95-A crystal structure of the complex (S)-MCT.HSV1 TK explains both the more favorable binding affinity and catalytic turnover of (S)-MCT for HSV1 TK over the North analog. Additionally the plasticity of the active site of the enzyme is addressed by comparing the binding of (North)- and (South)-carbathymidine analogs. The presented study of these two potent candidate prodrugs for HSV1 TK gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy suggests that (S)-MCT may be even safer to use than its North counterpart (N)-MCT.     

Biochemical transfer of single-copy eucaryotic genes using total cellular DNA as donor.

Previous studies from our laboratories have demonstrated the feasibility of transferring the thymidine kinase (tk) gene from restriction endonuclease-generated fragments of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA to cultured mammalian cells. In this study, high molecular weight DNA from cells containing only one copy of the HSV gene coding for tk was successfully used to transform L+K-cells to the tk+ phenotype. The acquired phenotype was demonstrated to be donor-derived by analysis of the electrophoretic mobility of the tk activity, and the presence of HSV DNA sequences in the recipient cells was demonstrated. In companion experiments, we used high molecular weight DNA derived from tissues and cultured cells of a variety of species to transfer tk activity. The tk+ mouse cells transformed with human DNA were shown to express human type tk activity as determined by isoelectric focusing.     

Different capacities for recombination in closely related human lymphoblastoid cell lines with different mutational responses to X-irradiation.

WIL2-NS and TK6 are two distinct human lymphoblast cell lines derived from a single male donor. WIL2-NS cells are significantly more resistant to the cytotoxic effects of X-irradiation but considerably more sensitive to induced mutation. In an effort to determine the mechanistic basis for these differences, we analyzed the physical structures of thymidine kinase (tk)-deficient mutants isolated after X-ray treatment of tk heterozygotes derived from TK6 and the more mutable WIL2-NS. Southern analysis showed that while 84% of TK6-derived mutants had arisen by loss of heterozygosity (LOH), all 106 mutants from WIL2-NS derivatives arose with LOH at tk and all but one showed LOH at other linked loci on chromosome 17. We adapted a fluorescence in situ hybridization technique to distinguish between LOH due to deletion, which results in retention of only one tk allele, and LOH due to a mechanism involving the homologous chromosome (e.g., recombination), which results in the retention of two alleles. Among the LOH mutants derived that were analyzed in this way, 9 of 26 from WIL2-NS and 11 of 17 from TK6 cell lines arose by deletion. The remaining mutants retained two copies of the tk gene and thus arose by a mechanism involving the homologous allele. Since many of these mutants arising by a homologous mechanism retained partial heterozygosity of chromosome 17, they must have arisen by recombination or gene conversion, and not chromosome loss and reduplication. Finally, the recombinational capacities of WIL2-NS and TK6 were compared in transfection assays with plasmid recombination substrates. Intermolecular recombination frequencies were greater in WIL2-NS than in TK6. These data are consistent with a model suggesting that a recombinational repair system is functioning at a higher level in WIL2-NS than in TK6; the greater mutability of the tk locus in WIL2-NS results from more frequent inter- and intramolecular recombination events.     

Replication inhibition by nucleoside analogues of a recombinant Autographa californica multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus harboring the herpes thymidine kinase gene driven by the IE-1(0) promoter: a new way to select recombinant baculoviruses.

The expression of the thymidine-thymidylate kinase (HSV1-TK), (ATP: thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase; EC 2.7.1.21) of herpes simplex virus type 1 endows the host cell with a conditional lethal phenotype which depends on the presence of nucleoside analogues metabolized by this enzyme into toxic inhibitors of DNA replication. To generate a recombinant baculovirus that could be selected against by nucleoside analogs, the HSV1-tk coding sequence was placed under the control of the Autographa californica multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) immediate early promoterm IE-1(0), and this construction was introduced via homologous recombination into the polyhedrin locus of AcMNPV. Two recombinant baculoviruses harboring this gene construct at the polyhedrin locus were isolated and tested for their ability to replicate in the presence of various concentrations of the nucleoside analog 9-(1,3-Dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)guanine (Ganciclovir). Neither Sf9 lepidopteran cell viability nor replication of wild type or beta-Galactosidase-expressing recombinant AcMNPVs were affected by concentrations of Ganciclovir up to 100 microM. In contrast, replication of the recombinant AcMNPV virus harboring the HSV1-tk gene was inhibited by Ganciclovir in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition was detectable at 2 microM and complete at 100 microM. This property was exploited in model isolations aimed at purifying new recombinant viruses having lost this counter-selectable gene marker as a result of homologous recombination at the polyhedrin locus after cotransfection of the viral DNA with a replacement vector. After being propagated in the presence of Ganciclovir, the progeny of such co-transfections contained over 85% recombinant viruses, demonstrating that counter-selection of parental HSV1-tk-containing viruses by Ganciclovir constitutes a novel approach for recombinant baculovirus isolation.     

Imaging long-term fate of intramyocardially implanted mesenchymal stem cells in a porcine myocardial infarction model

The long-term fate of stem cells after intramyocardial delivery is unknown. We used noninvasive, repetitive PET/CT imaging with [(18)F]FEAU to monitor the long-term (up to 5 months) spatial-temporal dynamics of MSCs retrovirally transduced with the sr39HSV1-tk gene (sr39HSV1-tk-MSC) and implanted intramyocardially in pigs with induced acute myocardial infarction. Repetitive [(18)F]FEAU PET/CT revealed a biphasic pattern of sr39HSV1-tk-MSC dynamics; cell proliferation peaked at 33-35 days after injection, in periinfarct regions and the major cardiac lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes. The sr39HSV1-tk-MSC-associated [(18)F]FEAU signals gradually decreased thereafter. Cardiac lymphography studies using PG-Gd-NIRF813 contrast for MRI and near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed rapid clearance of the contrast from the site of intramyocardial injection through the subepicardial lymphatic network into the lymphatic vessels and periaortic lymph nodes. Immunohistochemical analysis of cardiac tissue obtained at 35 and 150 days demonstrated several types of sr39HSV1-tk expressing cells, including fibro-myoblasts, lymphovascular cells, and microvascular and arterial endothelium. In summary, this study demonstrated the feasibility and sensitivity of [(18)F]FEAU PET/CT imaging for long-term, in-vivo monitoring (up to 5 months) of the fate of intramyocardially injected sr39HSV1-tk-MSC cells. Intramyocardially transplanted MSCs appear to integrate into the lymphatic endothelium and may help improve myocardial lymphatic system function after MI.     

Factors Governing Expression of the Herpes Simplex Virus Gene for Thymidine Kinase in Clonal Derivatives of Transformed Mouse L Cells

The cells used in this study are sublines of a transformed mouse L cell line (designated H2) that carries the herpes simplex virus (HSV) gene for thymidine kinase (tk) as well as other viral genetic information acquired after exposure of the parental Ltk(-) cells to UV-irradiated HSV type 1. These sublines of the H2 cell line were isolated by cloning under nonselective conditions and were shown to express widely different levels of viral tk. Selective media were used to isolate phenotypically tk(-) and tk(+) variants in sequence from one of the clonal derivatives. As previously reported, superinfection of the tk(+) cell lines with tk(-) HSV type 1 resulted in enhancement of tk activity. A new finding was that viral tk activity could be induced by superinfection in at least 30% of cells from the phenotypically tk(-) sublines, indicating that a functional viral tk gene was retained in a significant proportion of the cells. Experiments were designed to test for the presence of regulatory factors that could influence tk expression in the nonsuperinfected sublines of H2. Absence of freely diffusible regulatory factors was indicated by the finding that the fusion of phenotypically tk(-) and tk(+) cells and untransformed cells in appropriate combinations did not affect the levels of tk detected. Moreover, there was no evidence for the presence in phenotypically tk(+) transformed cells of HSV-specific regulatory factors that could influence expression of tk from a superinfecting viral genome. Phenotypically tk(+) sublines of H2 were found to differ from the phenotypically tk(-) sublines and from untransformed cells in that the tk(+) cells synthesized viral proteins earlier and produced greater yields of infectious HSV progeny after superinfection with wild-type tk(+) virus. We can conclude that the absence of tk expression in the tk(-) H2 sublines cannot be accounted for by rearrangements or loss of DNA sequences encoding the enzyme itself or of sequences necessary for induction of the gene by superinfecting HSV. Moreover, it appears that the expression of tk in the tk(+) H2 sublines correlates with the presence of some factor that can enhance (or the absence of some factor that can depress) HSV replication and gene expression.     

Initiation of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase polypeptides.

When employed as a transgene reporter, the herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV1) thymidine kinase gene (tk) is ectopically expressed in mouse testis. The principal testicular mRNA lacks the 5'-end of the tk reading frame. As a result the principal translation products, P2 and P3, are N-terminally truncated. These co-migrate in SDS-PAGE with polypeptides synthesised during HSV1 infection that were previously thought to be initiated at methionine codons ATG46 and ATG60. Prompted by these observations we generated modified tk genes each carrying only one of the first three ATG codons. Transfected cells expressed both full-length enzyme (P1) and P2 when only ATG1 was unmodified, P2 and P3 when only ATG46 was unmodified or P2 and a fourth polypeptide (P4) when only ATG60 was unmodified. Our observations indicate that P3 is initiated at ATG46 rather than ATG60, while P2 is initiated at a non-ATG codon rather than ATG46 and P4 is initiated at ATG60. When either of two putative non-ATG initiation codons was modified P2 was no longer produced. Cells mainly expressing either P1 or P3 exhibited the same sensitivity to Ganciclovir as cells transfected with the unaltered tk gene. P1 and P3 both have TK activity while P4 probably has none.