Purification and biochemical characterization of deoxythymidine kinase of deoxythymidine kinase-deficient mouse 3T3 cells biochemically transformed by equine herpesvirus type 1.

A line of mouse 3T3 cells lacking deoxythymidine kinase (dTK-) was stably transformed to see dTK+ phenotype after exposure to ultraviolet-irradiated equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Deoxythymidine kinase (dTK) was purified from the biochemically transformed mouse cells by affinity chromatography on deoxythymidine-Sepharose. The purified dTK from EHV-1-transformed 3T3 cells was identical to the dTK purified from dTK- 3T3 cells lytically infected with EHV-1 with respect to its electrophoretic mobility, molecular weight, substrate specificity, phosphate donor specificity, and immunological specificity. The sedimentation velocity of the purified dTK from the transformed 3T3 cells was similar to that previously reported for the enzyme in lytically infected dTK- 3T3 cells, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 87,000. Antiserum prepared against the EHV-1 dTK induced in horse cells inactivated the dTK purified from the transformed mouse cells. The Km for deoxythymidine (5 micrometers) of purified dTK from the EHV-1-transformed cells was the same as that reported for the EHV-1-induced dTK. These results further support the notion that the dTK acquired by dTK- mouse 3T3 cells after transformation by EHV-1 is of viral and not of cellular origin.