Alpha-Herpesvirus Thymidine Kinase Genes Mediate Viral Virulence and Are Potential Therapeutic Targets.

ABSTRACT: Alpha-herpesvirus thymidine kinase (TK) genes are virulence-related genes and are nonessential for viral replication; they are often preferred target genes for the construction of gene-deleted attenuated vaccines and genetically engineered vectors for inserting and expressing foreign genes. The enzymes encoded by TK genes are key kinases in the nucleoside salvage pathway and have significant substrate diversity, especially the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) TK enzyme, which phosphorylates four nucleosides and various nucleoside analogues. Hence, the HSV-1 TK gene is exploited for the treatment of viral infections, as a suicide gene in antitumor therapy, and even for the regulation of stem cell transplantation and treatment of parasitic infection. This review introduces the effects of α-her

SUBMITTER: Xie Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6517553 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature