The invention concerns a polypeptide having a uracil phosphoribosyl transferase
(UPRTase) by mutation of one or several residues of the UPRTase. The invention
also concerns a nucleotide sequence coding for the UPRTase mutant, a vector for
expressing the latter, a viral particle, a host cell, and a composition containing
them. The invention further concerns their therapeutic use and a treatment method
using them. The invention is particularly useful in the context of therapy by suicide
genes, in particular, for treating proliferative and infectious diseases.