Inhibition of herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene expression by DNA methylation is an indirect effect

Inhibition of herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene expression by DNA methylation is an indirect effect.

The biological activity of in vitro methylated HSV-TK DNA was analysed after microinjection into thymidine kinase negative rat 2 cells. It was found that the fully methylated DNA (Hpa II methylase) was as active as the non methylated control DNA for about 48 hours after injection. DNA reextraction experiments and blot analysis showed that DNA demethylation was not the reason for the observed TK...

Transfer of the gene for thymidine kinase to thymidine kinase-deficient human cells by purified herpes simplex viral DNA.

Transformation of human cells from a thymidine kinase (ATP:thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.75)-negative to a thymidine kinase-positive phenotype has been achieved by using purified DNA from herpes simplex virus type 2. The specific activity of the DNA was in the range 0.5 to 2.0 transformants per microng and the efficiency of gene transfer was up to 1 transformant per 10(5) recipient ...

Restriction Enzyme Analysis of Thymidine Kinase Gene in Four Iranian Isolates of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

Rhabdomyosarcoma-specific expression of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene confers sensitivity to ganciclovir.

We examined a panel of cell lines for the expression of the myogenic proteins myoD and myogenin. High level expression of both proteins was seen in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). To determine whether promoter elements from these genes could direct RMS cell-specific expression, we generated reporter constructs containing one or two copies of the myoD enhancer coupled to the SV40 promoter. Transient tra...

Chromatin structure is required to block transcription of the methylated herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene.

Inhibition of herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (TK) gene transcription (pHSV-106, pML-BPV-TK4) by DNA methylation is an indirect effect, which occurs with a latency period of approximately equal to 8 hr after microinjection of the DNA into TK- rat 2 and mouse LTK- cells. We have strong evidence that chromatin formation is critical for the transition of the injected DNA from methylati...