Identification of an Epstein-Barr virus-coded thymidine kinase

EMBO J. 1986 Aug;5(8):1959-66. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04450.x.

Abstract

We have demonstrated the presence of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-coded thymidine kinase (TK) by producing biochemically transformed, TK-positive mammalian cell lines using either microinjection of whole EBV virions or calcium phosphate-mediated transfection of the SalI-B restriction endonuclease fragment of EBV DNA. Analysis of these cell lines showed that: (i) EBV DNA was present in the cell lines, (ii) sequences from the SalI-B restriction endonuclease fragment of EBV were expressed, (iii) a TK activity was present and (iv) a protein with antigenic cross-reactivity with the herpes simplex virus (HSV) TK was produced. The identity of the EBV TK gene was determined by demonstrating that a recombinant plasmid, which expressed the protein product of the BXLF1 open reading frame as a fusion protein, could complement TK- strains of E. coli. A comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences of the TK proteins of EBV and HSV-1 revealed significant regions of homology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • B-Lymphocytes
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Transformation, Viral
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Genes*
  • Genes, Viral*
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / enzymology
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Weight
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Plasmids
  • Thymidine Kinase / genetics*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • DNA, Viral
  • Thymidine Kinase
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes