Divergent anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity and anabolic phosphorylation of 2‘,3‘-dideoxynucleoside analogs in resting and activated human cells

Expression of functional glucagon receptors on lymphoid cells

The objective of the present studies was to determine whether the existence of functional glucagon receptors could be established on lympoid cells. The glucagon receptor, which positively regulates adenylate cyclase, is a member of the superfamily of seven transmembrane domain G-protein coupled receptors. Previously reported specific binding with [125I]-glucagon to a variety of lymphoid and myeloid cell preparations suggests that glucagon receptors are expressed within the immune system. In the present study, Northern analysis of polyA RNA isolated from primary mouse and rat derived lymphoid tissues and lymphoid cell lines EL-4.IL-2, Jurkat E6-1, CH12LX, and BCL1-3B3 cells were probed with a 32P-labeled human hepatic glucagon receptor. Mouse spleen and thymus, rat spleen, and the B cell line, CH12LX, all possessed a single 1.5 kb fragment (BCL1-3B3, 1.4 kb) which hybridized to the glucagon receptor cDNA probe, as compared to mouse liver which exhibited a 2.8 kb fragment. EL-4.IL-2 and Jurkat E6-1 cells possessed a 3.7 kb fragment with an additional 2.75 kb band present in Jurkat E6-1 cells. Treatment of mouse splenocytes and T- and B-lymphoma cells with glucagon (0 - 100 nM) produced a dose-dependent enhancement in intracellular cAMP which was maximal at 5 min post treatment followed by a gradual decline. Direct addition of glucagon to spleen cell cultures over a broad concentration range produced no effect on either lymphoproliferation following stimulation with anti-CD3 mAb, or LPS nor on the antibody forming cell (AFC) response to sRBC. Conversely, glucagon effectively reversed the suppression of the sRBC AFC response produced by delta9-tetrahydocannabinol (delta9-THC), and partially reversed the suppression produced by 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine, both of which are potent inhibitors of adenylate cyclase. These studies confirm the expression of functional glucagon receptors on lymphoid cells.

The intracellular phosphorylation of (-)-2'-deoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) and the incorporation of 3TC 5'-monophosphate into DNA by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and human DNA polymerase gamma

(-)-2'-deoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) has been shown to be a potent, selective inhibitor of HIV replication in vitro, which requires phosphorylation to its 5'-triphosphate for antiviral activity. The intracellular concentration of 3TC 5'-triphosphate in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) shows a linear dependence on the extracellular concentration of 3TC up to an extracellular 3TC concentration of 10 microM. At this extracellular concentration of 3TC, the resulting intracellular concentration of 3TC 5'-triphosphate is 5 microM. This value is similar to the inhibition constant (Ki) values for the competitive inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase and human DNA polymerases (10-16 microM) by 3TC 5'-triphosphate. Since the concentration of 3TC producing 90% inhibition (IC90) of HIV replication in PBLs has been reported to be 76 nM, the antiviral activity of 3TC requires intracellular concentrations of 3TC 5'-triphosphate, which would result in very little inhibition of reverse transcriptase if its sole mode of action was competitive inhibition. This apparent discrepency may be explained by the ability of 3TC 5'-triphosphate to act as a substrate for reverse transcriptase. Primer extension assays have shown that 3TC 5'-triphosphate is a substrate for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase gamma, resulting in the incorporation of 3TC 5'-monophosphate into DNA. In the case of DNA polymerase gamma, the product of this reaction (i.e. double-stranded DNA with 3TC 5'-monophosphate incorporated at the 3'-terminus of the primer strand) is also a substrate for the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of this enzyme. This may explain the low levels of mitochondrial toxicity observed with 3TC.

Removal of anti-human immunodeficiency virus 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside monophosphates from DNA by a novel human cytosolic 3'-->5' exonuclease

A 3'-->5' exonuclease has been highly purified from the cytosol of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia H9 cells. The apparent molecular weight of this enzyme was approximately 50,000, as indicated by its sedimentation in glycerol gradients. The exonuclease did not copurify with DNA polymerase activity, required MgCl2 for its exonucleolytic activity, and was inhibited by KCl above 60 mM. The enzyme was active on single-stranded DNA, DNA duplexes and DNA/RNA duplexes, and it was efficient at removing 3'-terminal mispairs from DNA. The products of the exonucleolytic reaction were deoxynucleoside 5'-monophosphates. The behavior of the exonuclease was examined on DNA terminated at the 3' end with a variety of dideoxynucleosides that are potent against human immunodeficiency virus type 1. The exonuclease has a broad substrate specificity; however, the rate of the enzymatic reaction varied among the D dideoxynucleosides tested (ddAMP = ddCMP > d4TMP > AZTMP). Similarly, the enzyme was examined for its reactivity with DNA terminated by either the D or L enantiomers of ddC, SddC or FddC. The removal of analogs with the native D configuration was at least 6-fold more rapid than that of the L-compounds, and the type of structural modification had an impact on the rate at which the D enantiomers were removed (SddCMP > ddCMP > FddCMP). The monophosphate forms of AZT, D4T, L-FddC and L-ddC were potent inhibitors of the exonuclease at micromolar concentrations, while D-ddCMP partially inhibited the enzyme at millimolar concentrations. Based on its physical and enzymatic properties, this exonuclease represents a novel enzyme that may have an important role in determining the relative potencies of dideoxynucleosides against human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

In vitro anti-HIV-1 activity of HIV protease inhibitor KNI-272 in resting and activated cells: implications for its combined use with AZT or ddI

KNI-272, a conformationally constrained human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitor containing a P1 allophenylnorstatine (Apns) ((2S,3S)- 3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid), has been shown to be a selective and potent inhibitor of the replication of a wide spectrum of HIV strains in vitro. When KNI-272 was tested in combination with 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) or 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI) against a primary HIV-1 isolate in phytohemagglutin-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PHA-PBM), its activity was identified to be additive, but not synergistic or antagonistic, as analyzed with the COMBO program package. When tested alone for anti-HIV-1 activity in resting PBM (R-PBM) and PHA-PBM, KNI-272 was found to be comparably potent against the virus in both target cell populations, whereas AZT was more potent in PHA-PBM than in R-PBM and ddI was more potent in R-PBM. These data suggest a potential clinical application of KNI-272 and its analogs.

2',3'-Dideoxycytidine induced drug resistance in human cells

2',3'-Dideoxycytidine (ddC) is a nucleoside analogue that inhibits HIV-1 replication in vitro and is currently used in AIDS therapy. This compound exerts a delayed cytotoxicity due to inhibition of mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) synthesis. We have found that long term exposure of U937 human monoblastoid cells to ddC allowed the selection of a drug-resistant cell line (U937-R) with 66% mDNA, normal ddC transport and altered deoxycytidine kinase kinetic properties. In this paper we show that U937-R cells contain an increased number of mitochondria per cell and a reduced copy number of mDNA/mitochondria. Furthermore, the intracellular concentrations of deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (dCTP) and 2',3'-dideoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (ddCTP) are also reduced although with a higher dCTP/ddCTP ratio in U937-R compared to the parental cells. This mechanism of drug resistance, with drug-resistance based on viral mutations, can provide an explanation for drug failure in antiviral therapy.