A Bioorthogonal Chemical Reporter of Viral Infection

Pathogen‐selective labeling was achieved by using the novel gemcitabine metabolite analogue 2′‐deoxy‐2′,2′‐difluoro‐5‐ethynyluridine (dF‐EdU) and click chemistry. Cells infected with Herpes Simplex Virus‐1 (HSV‐1), but not uninfected cells, exhibit nuclear staining upon the addition of dF‐EdU and a fluorescent azide. The incorporation of the dF‐EdU into DNA depends on its phosphorylation by a herpes virus thymidine kinase (TK). Crystallographic analyses revealed how dF‐EdU is well accommodated in the active site of HSV‐1 TK, but steric clashes prevent dF‐EdU from binding human TK. These results provide the first example of pathogen‐enzyme‐dependent incorporation and labeling of bioorthogonal functional groups in human cells.