In vitro suppression of UAG and UGA mutants in the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus.

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Abstract
In vitro translation, in nuclease-treated reticulocyte lysates, of mRNA from [African green monkey kidney Vero] cells infected with several thymidine kinase-deficient mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1 was studied. The addition of suppressor tRNA from yeast resulted in suppression of the mutant property in the case of 2 mutants. Synthesis of enzymatically active viral thymidine kinase was restored by serine-inserting amber suppressor tRNA in the case of HSV TK4- and synthesis of the intact, but inactive, thymidine kinase protein was restored by serine- and leucine-inserting UGA suppressor tRNA in the case of HSV TK43-. Read-through of the normal termination at the end of the thymidine kinase gene was promoted by UGA suppressor tRNA. HSV-TK4- is apparently an amber (UAG) mutant and that HSV-TK43- is an opal (UGA) mutant.