Induction of ribonucleotide reductase activity in cells infected with African swine fever virus.

Infection of Vero cells with African swine fever virus (ASFV) resulted in a marked increase in ribonucleotide reductase activity. The induction of ribonucleotide reductase was detected early after infection and was proportional to the multiplicity of infection. Inhibition of viral DNA replication did not affect the induction of the enzyme. Several characteristics could distinguish the virus-induced from the normal cell enzyme. ASFV-induced ribonucleotide reductase was inhibited by magnesium, was more strongly inhibited by hydroxyurea, and had a fourfold lower Km. The virus-induced enzyme was inhibited by deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates and by ATP. The isolation of hydroxyurea-resistant ASFV mutants provided genetic evidence for the viral origin of the induced ribonucleotide reductase. The resistance to hydroxyurea was due to a threefold overproduction of ribonucleotide reductase, as compared to enzyme induction by wild-type ASFV. Hydroxyurea had similar effect in vitro on ribonucleotide reductases induced by wild-type or mutant virus. The gene for the small subunit of the viral enzyme was mapped within a 2.3-kb fragment by hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe designed from a conserved aminoacid sequence of eukaryotic and viral ribonucleotide reductases.