Enzymatic activity of thymidine kinase of herpes simlex virus strain resistant to H-phosphonates of Acv

Cloned laboratory mutants of herpes simplex virus type I resistant to acycloguanosine H-phosphonate have been investigated. For all clones were shown that mutations resulted to increasing of sensitivity to acting of sidofovir. Thymidine kinase of mutant viruses partially preserves the ability to phosphorilate thymidine, but loses the ability to phosphorilate BVDU.     

Cloning, expression, isolation and properties of thymidine kinase herpes simplex virus, strain L2

A thymidine kinase UL23 gene (EC 2.7.1.145) from an acyclovir-sensitive strain L2 of herpes simplex virus type 1 was cloned and expressed in E. coli. Enzyme was purified by chromatography to a homogeneous state controlled by PAG electrophoresis. The Michaelis constants for the reactions with thymidine and an acyclovir were determined. It was found that enzyme phosphorilate some modified nucleosides such as d2T, d4T, d2C, 3TC, FLT, BVDU, GCV. A comparison of the purified enzyme properties and properties ofthymidine kinase of other strains of herpes simplex virus, previously published was carried out. It is shown that enzyme is inhibited by acyclovir H-phosphonate.     

Isolation and various properties of nucleoside monophosphate kinases from Escherichia coli

A technique is proposed for isolation of nucleosidemonophosphate kinases--AMP-kinase (EC 2.7.4.11), GMP-kinase (EC 2.7.4.8), CMP-kinase (EC 2.7.4.14), UMP-kinase (EC 2.7.4.14) and TMP-kinase (EC 2.7.4.9)--from E. coli MRE-600. It involves cell destroying, precipitation of nucleic acids with polyethyleneimine, fractionation with ammonium sulphate followed by chromatography on different carriers (DEAE-Toyopearl-650 M, Matrex gel Blue A, Matrex gel Red A). The technique enables all the five enzymes to be obtained separately and without contaminations with nucleotide dephosphorylating enzymes. For all the enzymes the pH optimum was found to range from 6.5 to 8.0, and Mg2+ ions were found to be the best activator for all the enzymes studied. The substrate specificity was investigated with respect to acceptors and donors of the phosphate groups. The enzymes showed strict specificity to the heterocyclic base of the acceptor phosphate group. AMP-, GMP- and CMP-kinases phosphorylated the corresponding deoxynucleoside monophosphates less effectively than ribonucleoside monophosphates. ATP was found to be the most effective phosphate donor for all the enzymes under study.     

Mutations in the DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase genes of herpes simplex virus clinical isolates resistant to antiherpetic drugs

Primary structures of DNA polymerase (ul30) and thymidine kinase (ul23) genes from several herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) clinical isolates di ffering in sensitivity to several antiherpetic drugs were determined and compared to those of two laboratory HSV-1 strains one of which (L₂) was sensitive and the other (L2/R) was resistant to acyclovir. The phylogenetic sequence analysis showed that the ul30 and ul23 sequences of clinical isolates were close to those of L2, and that ul30 conserved regions differed between HSV-1 isolates and L₂ only in point mutations and degenerated substitutions. Several new mutations in the HSV-1 DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase functional domains were identified as substitutions associated with strain resistance to ACV and other antiherpetic drugs.     

The effect of pyrophosphate analogues on the inorganic pyrophosphatase from Escherichia coli

The effect of inorganic pyrophosphate analogues on the enzymic activity of inorganic pyrophosphatase from E. coli was studied. Hypophosphoric and diphosphonic acids were shown to inhibit inorganic pyrophosphatase, whereas pyrophosphorous acid exerts almost no effect on the hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2002, vol. 28, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Molecular genetic analysis of DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase genes of a HSV-1 population using an MPS technology

Real-time PCR was used to determine the ratio of viral and host DNA in lysates of Vero cells infected with HSV-1 strain L2. The number of virus copies reached a maximum after 24 h of incubation. Total isolated DNA was sequenced using the massively parallel sequencing technique on an Ion Torrent apparatus. Nucleotide sequences of thymidine kinase (UL23) and DNA polymerase (UL30) genes of a HSV-1 L2 population were determined; their primary structures were compared to those of other standard HSV-1 strains, KOS and 17. The detected differences between the UL23 and UL30 sequences of L2 and reference strains KOS and 17 were unimportant because these substitutions did not affect the conserved gene regions.