The small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase gene and protein of herpes viruses

Abstract

Herpes virus ribonucleotide reductase, which consists of two nonidentical subunits, designated R1 and R2, is an essential enzyme responsible for reduction of four ribonucleoside diphosphates to corresponding deoxyribonucleoside diphosphates, and it is the rate-limiting step in DNA synthesis. The R2 subunit contains a tyrosylfree radical and a binuclear m-oxo bridged iron center, which are required for ribonucleotide reductase activity. The characters of herpes viruses R2 gene and protein are described in the present article.

Defining a Core Genome for the Herpesvirales and Exploring their Evolutionary Relationship with the Caudovirales

“…The final set of core genes includes the ATPase subunit of the DNA terminase, the big and small subunits of the ribonucleotide reductase, the catalytic subunit of the DNA polymerase, and the dUTP-diphosphatase. The beta subunit of the ribonucleotide reductase is considered a part of the core genome of the family Herpesviridae 11 , even though it is either absent or dysfunctional in the subfamily Betaherpesvirinae 39 . For this reason, it was included as part of the proposed core genome but excluded from the phylogenetic analysis.…”