3'-AMINO THYMIDINE AFFINITY MATRIX FOR THE PURIFICATION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS THYMIDINE KINASE

A simple procedure for preparation of an affinity resin with 3'-amino thymidine linked to the carboxyl residues on 6-amino-hexanoic agarose is described. We have used this column for a rapid and simple purifica tion of the thymidine kinase encoded by the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome. This resin has two major advantages over the most widely use used resin made with thymidine-p-nitrophenyl phosphate: first it is e asily obtainable, and second, it is not subject to destruction by phos phodiesterases. The two resins are very similar in behavior and the re sin made with amino thymidine has allowed us to prepare large quantiti es of highly purified HSV TK for crystallization studies.