Ganciclovir (GCV), a nucleoside analog, can be enzymatically phosphorylated to an active triphosphate analog by herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK). The phosphorylated product causes inhibition of viral DNA polymerase. GCV has also been used to study sensitivity of different viruses to antiviral treatment. GCV was found to be more cytotoxic than other HSV-TK substrates, acyclovir and araT (1-beta-D- arabinofuranosylthymine). The mechanism presumably proceeds via irreversible cell cycle arrest at the G2-M checkpoint. The HSV-TK gene and GCV are often used for negative selection against random recombination events when homologous recombination of a gene of interest is required. Negative selection with the HSV-TK gene and GCV was used for measuring loss of telomeres in the study of chromosome healing. GCV is being also used as medical treatment since it can serve as potent agent against Cytomegalovirus infection following tissue transplantation.
Synonyms: Ganciclovir ready made solution; 2-Amino-1,9-dihydro-9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]-6H-purin-6-one; 9-(1,3-Dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)guanine; DHPG
Molecular Formula: C9H13N5O4
Molecular Weight: 255.23
Linear Structural Formula: C9H13N5O4
MDL Number: MFCD12197280
Purity: >=99% (HPLC)
Storage: 2-8C
Other Notes: Ganciclovir ready made solution in DMSO is provided at 10mM concentration (2.55mg/mL). It is suggested to dilute the provided ready made solution to a working concentration of 2-100muM for cell culture applications.