Selectivity of antitemplates as inhibitors of deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases

Treatment of viral and neoplastic diseases with double-stranded RNA derivatives and other new agents

Many attempts have been made to inhibit viral and neoplastic diseases by targeting the RNA system. The pathophysiologic significance of the microRNA system and the therapeutic potential of its manipulation are discussed. Studies of double-stranded RNA derivatives are reviewed. The therapeutic potential of one of these compounds, polyI:MPC, is emphasized. Studies of other related antiviral and antineoplastic agents are discussed, including 2'-deoxyoligocytidilates and telomerase inhibitors.

Structure-activity relationships and mode of action of 5-mercapto-substituted oligo- and polynucleotides as antitemplates inhibiting replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Introduction of a reactive 5-mercapto group into some of the cytosine and/or uracil bases of various oligo- and polynucleotides by partial thiolation resulted in several potent inhibitors of the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in primary human lymphocytes. These compounds exhibited little if any toxicity against uninfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells and showed 15 to 75 times higher antitemplate activity against a p66/p51 HIV-1 recombinant reverse transcriptase (RT) than against the DNA polymerase alpha from human lymphocytes. In contrast, the unthiolated oligo- and polynucleotides are void of antitemplate activity, and their apparent inhibitory effect on HIV-1 closely paralleled their toxicity for the cells. Partially thiolated poly(dC) (MPdC) was the most potent of all the compounds tested against HIV-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (50% effective concentration, 1.8 micrograms/ml or 0.019 microM), while showing low cytotoxicity (greater than 100 micrograms/ml). The corresponding unmodified poly(dC) showed no anti-HIV-1 activity at 50 micrograms/ml but had pronounced cytotoxicity. MPdC was also a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 RT (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.30 micrograms/ml). The inhibitory activities of thiolated homooligo(dCs) against both HIV-1 replication and HIV-1 RT increased with increasing chain length. The heterooligonucleotides included in this study were designed as structural analogs of portions of the natural primer of HIV-1 RT, i.e., tRNA(3Lys). An 18-mer analog of the 3' terminus, complementary (antisense) to the primer-binding site of the HIV-1 genome, was attached to an oligo(dC) tail and 5-thiolated; this increased its activity and decreased its toxicity. This compound will serve as a new lead in the development of more effective antitemplates against HIV-1.

Innovations in the use of antisense oligonucleotides

The use of antisense oligonucleotides for controlling genetic expression has recently received widespread attention, especially as a new class of potential chemotherapeutic agents. This coupled with the urgency of developing new effective therapies for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has led to various antisense studies dealing with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which are briefly reviewed here. Anti-HIV and other biological activities found for oligonucleotides suggest that sequence-specific and sequence-nonspecific mechanisms of action can be found. Recent developments in oligonucleotide analogue chemistry and relevant analytical methods are also described, including fast-data finder technology.

Synthesis and properties of poly 5-methylthiouridylic acid

In an effort to search for good methods for the enzymatic synthesis of polynucleotide analogs with antitemplate activity, 5-methylthiouridine-5'-diphosphate (ms5UDP) has been synthesized and investigated as a substrate for polynucleotide phosphorylase. While ms5UDP was polymerized at a very low rate to give a 6% yield of polynucleotides by the polynucleotide phosphorylase of Micrococcus luteus, it was utilized more efficiently by the corresponding enzyme of Escherichia coli resulting in a 15% yield of poly (5-methylthiouridylic) acid. Results of the co-polymerization of ms5UDP and UDP revealed that the ratio of 5-methylthiouridylate to uridylate residues in the polynucleotide product was lower than the ratio of ms5UDP to UDP in the substrate mixture. The 5-methylthio group conferred only minute changes on the conformation of the modified polyuridylic acid, and the complexes formed between poly-(5-methylthiouridylic) acid and poly(adenylic) acid possessed slightly higher Tm values than did the unmodified counterparts. Poly(5-methylthiouridylic) acid was a potent inhibitor of calf thymus DNA polymerase alpha.