Interactions of a subassembly of the herpes simplex virus type 1 helicase-primase with DNA.

The UL5, UL8, and UL52 genes of herpes simplex virus type 1 encode a multisubunit assembly that possesses primase, DNA helicase, and DNA-dependent nucleoside triphosphatase activities. A subassembly consisting of the UL5 and UL52 gene products retains these activities. The nucleoside triphosphatase activity of the UL5/UL52 subassembly is strongly stimulated by both homo- and heteropolymeric single-stranded DNA. Double-stranded DNA has little ability to stimulate the ATPase activity. The subassembly binds both double and single-stranded DNA. Nucleotides are not required for DNA-binding. The minimum length of single-stranded DNA that is bound and that stimulates enzymatic activity is about 12 nucleotides. The kinetic parameters of the ATPase activity of the subassembly are affected by the length of the oligonucleotide coeffector. The Km decreases as the coeffector length is increased up to a length of about 20 nucleotides and then remains independent of coeffector length. The first order rate constant for ATPase activity exhibits a quasihyperbolic dependence on the length of the DNA coeffector and is maximal for coeffectors of 20 nucleotides and longer.