Induction of deoxycytidine deaminase activity in mammalian cell lines by infection with herpes simplex virus type 1.

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Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 induces deoxycytidine deaminase (cytidine/deoxycytidine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.5) activity when it lytically infects a number of mammalian cell lines [mouse embryo fibroblast 3T6, mouse fibroblast LMTK, baby hamster kidney BHK-21 and human laryngeal carcinoma HEp-2 cells]. The deaminase activity is induced in a mouse cell line that is deficient in this enzyme. The induction of the enzyme in this mutant cell line does not occur in the presence of actinomycin D, and the induced enzyme is more thermolabile than the enzyme of the wild-type mouse cell line. A new deoxycytidine deaminase species with a characteristic electrophoretic mobility that is different from that of the host cell enzyme is found in cell extracts prepared from a human cell line infected with herpesvirus. The virus-induced deoxycytidine deaminase is apparently coded by the viral genome. Because a deficiency in this enzyme is conditionally lethal for cells growing in a medium containing 5-methyldeoxycytidine as the sole source of thymidylate, this enzyme can be utilized as a selective marker for selecting mutant cells that regain deoxycytidine deaminase activity as the result of infection by UV-inactivated herpes simplex virus.