Genetics of resistance to phosphonoacetic acid in strain KOS of herpes simplex virus type 1

Abstract
A DNA- temperature-sensitive mutant of herpes simplex virus type 1 exhibiting thermolabile DNA polymerase activity, tsD9 was resistant to phosphonoacetic acid (PAA) when plated at the permissive temperature ts+ revertants of tsD9 were PAA sensitive and exhibited DNA polymerase activity intermediate between that of the wild-type virus and tsD9, indicating that temperature sensitivity and sensitivity to PAA are controlled by the same gene. Since the position of tsD9 on the existing herpes simplex virus type 1 linkage map is known, the locus for PAA resistance.sbd.and therefore for the structural gene for viral DNA polymerase.sbd.was identified.