The Immunological Specificity of Thymidine Kinases in Cells Infected by Viruses of the Herpes Group

Abstract

Two viruses of the herpes group, herpes simplex virus and pseudorabies virus, cause an increase in the activity of thymidine kinase (E.C. 2.7.1.21) in baby hamster kidney cells (BHK 21) and primary rabbit kidney cells respectively (Klemperer et al. 1967; Hamada, Kamiya & Kaplan, 1966). Klemperer et al. (1967) showed that the thymidine kinase produced in cells infected with herpes simplex virus was inhibited by antiserum prepared against RK 13 cells (Beale, Christofinis & Furminger, 1963) infected with the same virus. Similar results were obtained by Hamada et al. (1966) using thymidine kinase induced by pseudorabies virus and antiserum prepared against cells infected with pseudorabies virus.