Monoclonal antibodies to herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase.

Purified herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase has been used to immunize mice for the production of monoclonal antibodies to the enzyme. Monoclonal antibodies were successfully produced against both herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 enzymes. These antibodies should prove useful for detecting the enzyme under a variety of experimental conditions. We also demonstrate that the antibodies can provide an alternative method for obtaining large amounts of purified thymidine kinase.