Structural and mechanistic insight into the phosphorylation reaction catalyzed by mpox virus thymidine kinase.

Mpox virus (MPXV) is the etiological agent of mpox, which is a major threat to human health. The identification of potential drug targets and the development of effective antiviral therapies are still urgently needed. The thymidine kinase (TK) encoded by MPXV initiates the deoxythymidine triphosphate (dTTP) salvage synthesis pathway and facilitates viral DNA replication.