Substrate specificity of three viral thymidine kinases (TK): vaccinia virus TK, feline herpesvirus TK, and canine herpesvirus TK |
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Authors: | Solaroli N Johansson M Balzarini J Karlsson A |
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Institution: | Mitochondrial Medicine Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. nicola.solaroli@ki.se |
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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. |
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