Cytopathogenicity, drug susceptibility, and thymidine kinase activity of a retinovirulent herpes simplex virus type 2

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We investigated some of the biological and biochemical characteristics of a neurovasive, retinovirulent herpes simplex virus type 2 strain SL (HSV‐2[SL]) and compared them with those of a neurovirulent, nonretinovirulent HSV‐2(186). HSV‐2(SL) was shown to spread rapidly and produce large syncytium in vitro. HSV‐2(SL) and HSV‐2(186) were equally susceptible to acyclovir (ACV) and thymine arabinoside (Ara‐T). However, HSV‐2(SL) was fourfold and 44‐fold more susceptible than HSV‐2(186) to iododeoxyuridine (IUdR) and bromovinyldeoxyuridene (BVDU), respectively. In addition, cytosolic TK from HSV‐2(SL)‐infected cells phosphorylated 4, 20, and 23,000 times more IUdR, iododeoxycytidine (IdCyD), and Ara‐T than the TK of HSV‐2(186), respectively. Further, HSV‐2(186) replication was inhibited by Ara‐T. These studies indicate that the retinovirulent HSV‐2(SL) has a syn phenotype and a TK with broad substrate activity.