Overexpression, purification, and characterization of the herpes simplex virus-1 DNA polymerase UL42 protein complex

The herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-l)-encoded DNA polymerase consists of two subunits, the products of the UL30 and UL42 genes. UL30 and UL42 were coexpressed in Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculoviruses carrying the two genes, The UL30 and UL42 gene products remained tightly associated throughout the purification, which led to a near homogeneous heterodimer composed of the DNA polymerase and UL42 protein. The DNA polymerase-UL42 protein heterodimer, purified from the recombinant baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells, showed the same high degree of processivity of deoxynucleotide polymerization as the enzyme purified from the HSV-1 infected primate cells, Like the latter, it contained a 3'-5' exonuclease activity that specifically hydrolyzes an incorrectly matched nucleotide at the 3' terminus of a primer, thereby contributing to the fidelity of DNA replication.