Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1992, 57, 1577-1612
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19921577

Enzymes of Human Herpesviruses

Pavel Kramata and Ivan Votruba

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 166 10 Prague 6

Abstract

The properties of human herpesvirus-encoded enzymes are reviewed and the importance of sequence analysis of viral genomes as well as the experiments on characteristics of enzymes isolated from infected cell cultures are emphasized. The following enzymes are described in detail: DNA replication complex consisting of DNA polymerase, DNA helicase-primase, single-stranded DNA binding protein and origin binding protein, further thymidine kinase, ribonucleotide reductase, deoxyuridine triphosphatase as well as uracil-DNA-glycosylase, deoxyribonuclease and protein kinase. The importance of these enzymes from the point of view of antiviral chemotherapy is discussed.