Cloning of the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene in E. coli K 12: a selective marker for gene transfer into animal cells.

ABSTRACT

The Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV 1) thymidine kinase (TK) gene, carried by a 3.6 kb Bam H1 DNA fragment, was isolated and ligated to Bam H1 cleaved bacterial plasmid pBR 322. The TK gene, cloned in E. coli, is functional when it is transferred back into Eukaryotic cells, and can thus be used as a selective marker for gene transfer.