Resistance of herpes simplex virus to acycloguanosine--genetic and physical analysis

Recurrent Herpetic Keratitis during Topical Acyclovir Application

Dendritic herpetic keratitis developed in a 49-year-old patient during topical acyclovir treatment. A positive herpes simplex culture was obtained. After acyclovir was replaced by trifluorothymidine and interferon, the dendritic lesion disappeared and herpes simplex culture became negative. Six months later a carcinoma of the larynx was diagnosed. The acyclovir-resistant herpetic keratitis may be associated with the carcinoma because resistant herpes simplex virus strains are predominantly described in patients suffering from immune deficiency.

Effects of Acyclovir, Foscarnet, and Ribonucleotides on Herpes Simplex Virus-1 DNA Polymerase: Mechanistic Insights and a Novel Mechanism for Preventing Stable Incorporation of Ribonucleotides into DNA

We examined the impact of two clinically approved anti-herpes drugs, acyclovir and Forscarnet (phosphonoformate), on the exonuclease activity of the herpes simplex virus-1 DNA polymerase, UL30. Acyclovir triphosphate and Foscarnet, along with the closely related phosphonoacetic acid, did not affect exonuclease activity on single-stranded DNA. Furthermore, blocking the polymerase active site due to either binding of Foscarnet or phosphonoacetic acid to the E-DNA complex or polymerization of acyclovir onto the DNA also had a minimal effect on exonuclease activity. The inability of the exonuclease to excise acyclovir from the primer 3'-terminus results from the altered sugar structure directly impeding phosphodiester bond hydrolysis as opposed to inhibiting binding, unwinding of the DNA by the exonuclease, or transfer of the DNA from the polymerase to the exonuclease. Removing the 3'-hydroxyl or the 2'-carbon from the nucleotide at the 3'-terminus of the primer strongly inhibited exonuclease activity, although addition of a 2'-hydroxyl did not affect exonuclease activity. The biological consequences of these results are twofold. First, the ability of acyclovir and Foscarnet to block dNTP polymerization without impacting exonuclease activity raises the possibility that their effects on herpes replication may involve both direct inhibition of dNTP polymerization and exonuclease-mediated destruction of herpes DNA. Second, the ability of the exonuclease to rapidly remove a ribonucleotide at the primer 3'-terminus in combination with the polymerase not efficiently adding dNTPs onto this primer provides a novel mechanism by which the herpes replication machinery can prevent incorporation of ribonucleotides into newly synthesized DNA.

Resveratrol inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication

Resveratrol, a phytoalexin, was found to inhibit herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) replication in a dose-dependent, reversible manner. The observed reduction in virus yield was not caused by the direct inactivation of HSV by resveratrol nor inhibition of virus attachment to the cell. The chemical did, however, target an early event in the virus replication cycle since it was most effective when added within 1 h of cell infection, less effective if addition was delayed until 6 h post-infection and not effective if added 9 h post-infection. Resveratrol was also found to delay the cell cycle at S-G2-M interphase, inhibit reactivation of virus from latently-infected neurons and reduce the amount of ICP-4, a major immediate early viral regulatory protein, that is produced when compared to controls. These results suggest that a critical early event in the viral replication cycle, that has a compensatory cellular counterpart, is being adversely affected.

Mechanism of action of foscarnet against viral polymerases

Foscarnet is a pyrophosphate analogue with activity against herpesviruses, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other RNA and DNA viruses. Foscarnet and its analogues achieve their antiviral effects via inhibition of viral polymerases, with such inhibition not being dependent on activation or phosphorylation of the compounds by viral or cellular proteins. Current evidence indicates that foscarnet interferes with exchange of pyrophosphate from deoxynucleoside triphosphate during viral replication by binding to a site on the herpesvirus DNA polymerase or HIV reverse transcriptase. Reviewed herein are basic findings regarding the mechanism of action and antiviral activity of foscarnet and the related compound phosphonoacetic acid (PAA), as well as findings regarding potential mechanisms of viral resistance and interactions with other antiviral agents.

Analysis of the thymidine kinase gene from clinically isolated acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex viruses

The isolation and description of acyclovir-resistant (ACVR) herpes simplex-2 viruses from patients with AIDS has recently been reported. These ACVR viruses were all markedly decreased in their thymidine kinase (TK) activity, and 6 of 10 of these TK viruses were able to establish latency. In addition, one of these isolates, ACVR-86012 was neuropathogenic in a murine encephalitis model. In this paper, the characteristics of these isolates with respect to TK polypeptide synthesis are examined. All but one isolate synthesized a detectable TK protein by immunoprecipitation, and 9/10 of the TK proteins had an altered electrophoretic mobility as compared to wild-type. The TK polypeptide from the neuropathogenic isolate ACVR-86012 was full-length and the gene was sequenced. An amino acid change from a glutamine to a proline at amino acid residue 105 was detected compared to the wild-type HSV-333 strain. These results indicate that an amino acid change in the NH2 portion of the TK protein is associated with a full-length peptide with decreased enzyme activity but the virus retains neuropathic virulence.

Acyclovir resistance in herpes simplex virus type 1: biochemical and functional studies on the thymidine kinase of the highly resistant R100 strain

The biochemical and functional properties of the thymidine kinase (TK) of the herpes simplex virus type 1 mutant R100, that is highly resistant to 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine (acyclovir), are reported in comparison with the properties of its parental strain, wt. The mutant induced the production of a TK activity that accounted for only 10% of the wt one. This feature was not apparently related to a defective expression of the TK gene but it was rather connected to some functional characteristics of R100 enzyme. Although affinities of this enzyme for ATP and thymidine were unchanged, apparent Vmax values for thymidine were much reduced. In addition, affinities for antiviral analogues acyclovir, 9-(1,3-dihydroxymethyl)guanine (DHPG), 5-(2-bromovinyl)2'-deoxyuridine (BVdU), and 5-iodo-2'deoxycytidine (IdCyd) were drastically diminished (between 50-fold and more than 100-fold). This mutation therefore seems to affect the active site of the enzyme which is involved in the catalytic conversion of thymidine and in the binding of the analogues. The above features of HSV-1 R100 seem quite distinct from those of previously described HSV-1 resistant mutants.

Herpes simplex virus ribonucleotide reductase mutants are hypersensitive to acyclovir

Two mutants defective in herpes simplex virus-encoded ribonucleotide reductase activity exhibited the novel phenotype of hypersensitivity to acyclovir, aphidicolin, and to a lesser extent, phosphonoacetic acid. These results have implications for acyclovir resistance and the development of drugs that potentiate acyclovir action by inhibition of viral ribonucleotide reductase.

Herpes simplex virus replication in the presence of DNA polymerase alpha inhibitors

2-(p-n-butylanilino)deoxyadenosine (BuAdA), and N-2-(p-n-butylphenyl)deoxyguanosine (BuPdG), selective inhibitors of mammalian DNA polymerase alpha, were added to BHK-21(C13) cell cultures infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain 17 syn +. Infectious virus production decreased significantly in the presence of the inhibitor at concentrations varying from 1 nM to 100 microM. BuPdG was more effective than BuAdA at all concentrations tested, while it inhibited virus yield as much as BuAdA when CVG2, a thymidine kinase deficient (TK-) HSV-1, was employed. HSV DNA synthesis, determined by quantitation of CsCl separated DNA peaks, was inhibited by each compound. BuPdG inhibited viral DNA replication more than BuAdA, while the effect on cell DNA synthesis was the same as that of BuAdA. CVG2 DNA replication was inhibited to the same level by BuAdA as by BuPdG. These results indicate that HSV DNA replication is partially dependent on cell DNA polymerase alpha activity, and that the greater effect of BuPdG on viral replication may be ascribed to its action on HSV thymidine kinase.

An acyclovir-resistant strain of herpes simplex virus type 2 which is highly virulent for mice

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), strain YS-4 C-1, isolated by plaque cloning from a clinical isolate was found to be resistant to acyclovir (ACV; acycloguanosine) in vitro. It was sensitive to phosphonoacetic acid and 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine. Thymidine kinase (TK) activity of YS-4 C-1 was less than 1% of that of other strains from the same clinical source. However, thymidine plaque autoradiography showed that YS-4 C-1 was not completely deficient in TK activity. YS-4 C-1 showed high virulence for mice like other HSV-2 strains which were sensitive to ACV. YS-4 C-1 was able to establish latent infection in mice. Virus isolated from the brain of a mouse died after being inoculated with YS-4 C-1 was also resistant to ACV. ACV was not effective in mice inoculated with YS-4 C-1. This study shows that not all ACV-resistant strains are avirulent for mice.

Preliminary characterization of a mutant of herpes simplex virus type 1 selected for acycloguanosine resistance in vitro

In this paper we report on the preliminary characterization of a mutant of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) selected for acycloguanosine (acyclovir, ACV) resistance in vitro. The ACVr virus was examined for a series of parameters that include chemosensitivity assay, thymidine kinase (TK) activity, in vitro and in vivo growth, and mutation mapping. The data obtained indicate that a mutated TK gene is responsible for the ACVr phenotype. A distinctive feature of this mutant is the high level of resistance exhibited to ACV (100 microM) and the concomitant presence of a functional TK activity. Such a property makes this virus useful as a model for the study of viral resistance to nucleoside-type analogues in HSV.

A single-base change within the DNA polymerase locus of herpes simplex virus type 2 can confer resistance to aphidicolin

An aphidicolin-resistant (Aphr) mutant of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 strain 186 previously has been shown to induce an altered viral DNA polymerase that is more resistant to aphidicolin and more sensitive to phosphonoacetic acid (PAA) than is wild-type DNA polymerase. In this study the mutation responsible for the aphidicolin-resistant phenotype was physically mapped by marker transfer experiments. The physical map limits for the Aphr mutation were contained in a 1.1-kilobase pair region within the HSV DNA polymerase locus. The 1.1-kilobase-pair fragment of the Aphr mutant also conferred hypersensitivity to PAA, and DNA sequence analysis revealed an AT to GC transition within this fragment of the Aphr mutant. Analysis of the three potential open reading frames within the 1,147-base-pair fragment and comparison with the amino acid sequence of DNA polymerase of HSV type 1 indicated that the Aphr mutant polymerase had an amino acid substitution from a tyrosine to a histidine in the well-conserved region of the DNA polymerase. These results indicate that this single amino acid change can confer altered sensitivity to aphidicolin and PAA and suggest that this region may form a domain that contains the binding sites for substrates, PPi, and aphidicolin.

Physical mapping of two herpes simplex virus type 1 host shutoff loci: rescue of each ts mutation occurs with two unique cloned regions of the viral genome

Two complementing temperature-sensitive (ts) herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutants, PAA1rts1 and ts199, were defective in viral DNA synthesis and in the shutoff of cellular macromolecular synthesis at 39.5 degrees C, the nonpermissive temperature. PAA1sts1 and PAA1rts1+ recombinants and PAA1rts1+ revertants were used to examine the contributions of the PAA1r mutation and the ts1 mutation of PAA1rts1 in affecting the levels of viral and cellular DNA synthesized at 34 and 39.5 degrees C. The results of this study suggests an interaction between the viral DNA polymerase and the ts1+ gene product during HSV-1 DNA replication and possibly in the inhibition of host DNA synthesis by HSV-1. Physical mapping of the ts mutations present in ts199 and the PAA1sts1 recombinant ts1-8 were performed by intratypic marker rescue experiments. Surprisingly, both the ts1-8 and ts199 mutations were rescued by two cloned fragments: ts1-8 by BglII-K (map coordinates 0.095 to 0.163) and BglII-I (map coordinates 0.314 to 0.417), while ts199 was rescued by BglII-K and BglII-O (map coordinates 0.163 to 0.197). In more refined mapping experiments, the regions between coordinates 0.347 to 0.378 and 0.126 to 0.163 were able to rescue the ts1-8 mutation. Southern hybridization analysis confirmed that the fragments that rescued ts1-8 and those that rescued ts199 had homology, as predicted by the physical mapping results.

Nucleotide sequence of the DNA polymerase gene of herpes simplex virus type 2 and comparison with the type 1 counterpart

The complete nucleotide sequence of the DNA polymerase gene of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 strain 186 has been determined. The gene included a 3720-bp major open reading frame capable of encoding 1240 amino acids. The predicted primary translation product had an Mr of 137,354, which was slightly larger than its HSV-1 counterpart. A comparison of the predicted functional amino acid sequences of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA polymerases revealed 95.5% overall amino acid homology, the value of which was the highest among those of the other known polypeptides encoded by HSV-1 and HSV-2. The functional amino acid changes were spread in the N-terminal one-third of the protein, whereas the C-terminal two-third was almost identical between the two types except a particular hydrophilic region. A highly conserved sequence of 6 aa, YGDTDS, which has been observed in DNA polymerases of HSV-1, Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus, and vaccinia virus, was also present at positions 889 to 894 in the C-terminal region of HSV-2 DNA polymerase.

Pathogenicity of herpes simplex virus mutants containing drug resistance mutations in the viral DNA polymerase gene

Three herpes simplex virus mutants that contain drug resistance mutations in the DNA polymerase gene exhibited no significant reduction in replication in the ears of mice compared with the wild type after inoculation at that site but were attenuated for pathogenicity after intracerebral inoculation. Cataracts were common sequelae in mice that survived mutant infections.

On the complex nature of the antiviral activity of coumermycin A1: its interference with the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1

The mechanism of inhibition of the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) by coumermycin A1 (CA1), an inhibitor of bacterial DNA gyrase, has been investigated. Concentrations of antibiotic slightly higher than those needed for 50% inhibition of viral growth were able to inhibit viral DNA synthesis in infected cells. This effect was accompanied by a depressed synthesis of viral polypeptides. Protein synthesis was also inhibited in uninfected cells, especially after long exposure to the drug, but not in a cell-free system. In vitro assays of highly purified HSV-1 DNA polymerase in the presence of the drug, provided evidence that the enzyme was a target of CA1. The viral polymerase was in fact inhibited by the antibiotic to an extent comparable to that of viral DNA synthesis in intact cells. In contrast, DNA polymerase alpha, the enzyme involved in chromosomal DNA replication, was relatively insensitive to CA1. The drug was also shown to bind to protein and to viral and cellular DNA.

Sequence and mapping analyses of the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase gene predict a C-terminal substrate binding domain

The herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase provides an excellent model for studies of eukaryotic replicative polymerases. We report here the nucleotide sequence of the gene which encodes this enzyme. The gene includes a 3705-base-pair major open reading frame capable of encoding a Mr 136,519 polypeptide, in rough agreement with previous estimates of the size of the major polypeptide found in partially purified viral polymerase preparations. The predicted polymerase polypeptide shares extensive sequence homology with the Epstein-Barr virus open frame predicted to encode DNA polymerase and with a 13-amino acid segment of adenovirus 2 DNA polymerase. Mutations conferring altered sensitivity to antiviral deoxynucleoside triphosphate analogs, pyrophosphate analogs, or aphidicolin from eight different mutants map within the region encoding the carboxyl-terminal portion of the predicted polymerase polypeptide. Two of these are separated by a distance corresponding to at least 228 amino acids. We propose that this region of the gene encodes a polypeptide domain that contains the binding sites for deoxynucleoside triphosphates and pyrophosphate.

DNA sequence of the region in the genome of herpes simplex virus type 1 containing the genes for DNA polymerase and the major DNA binding protein

In the long unique region of the genome of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), the genes for DNA polymerase and the major DNA binding protein are arranged in a head to head manner, with an origin of DNA replication (termed OriL) located between them. This paper reports an 8400 base pair DNA sequence containing both genes and the origin, obtained mostly by M13/dideoxy analysis of plasmid cloned fragments. Amino acid sequences of the two proteins were deduced. Homologues of both genes were detected in the genome sequence of the distantly related Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Arrangement of these HSV-1 and EBV genes differs in genome location and in relative orientation. A part of HSV-1 DNA polymerase was found to be similar to a sequence in adenovirus 2 DNA polymerase, but the significance of this is unclear. Since a DNA sequence in the locality of OriL deletes on plasmid cloning, this region was analysed using virus DNA. A palindrome with 72-residue arms was found, which shows great similarity to the better characterized origin, OriS.

Inhibition of HSV-transformed murine cells by nucleoside analogs, 2'-NDG and 2'-nor-cGMP: mechanisms of inhibition and reversal by exogenous nucleosides

A murine cell line transformed with HSV TK (LH-1) exhibits a greatly enhanced cytotoxicity to the nucleoside analog 9-[(2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy) methyl]guanine (2'-NDG) as compared to the parental LM cell line (I50 LH-1 = 0.4 microM; I50 LM = 44.4 microM). Toxicity of 2'-NDG for LH-1 and LM is reversed only by the addition of 100 microM thymidine (dThd), indicating that 2'-NDG is a substrate for the viral and cellular TK. In LM(TK-) cells--murine cells expressing no TK activity, 2'-NDG cytotoxicity is partially reversed only with dGuo. A cyclic phosphate derivative of 2'-NDG, 2'-nor-cGMP, contains a phosphodiester bond, is also taken up by cells, and does not depend on viral TK for activation. LH-1 cells and LM(TK-) cells are inhibited by similar concentrations of this analog (5.1 and 4.1 microM, respectively). In all three cell lines (LM, LH-1, LM(TK-], the toxicity of 2'-nor-cGMP is significantly reversed with dGuo or cyclic dGMP. This pattern of reversal differs significantly from that observed with 2'-NDG, suggesting that 2'-nor-cGMP is metabolized as a guanosine analog, similar to acyclovir, in LM and LM(TK-) cells. These results indicate that a cyclic monophosphate analog of 2'-NDG can be activated independently of viral TK expression and that cellular metabolic pathways resulting in elevated dGTP concentrations are important for reversal of toxicity induced by guanosine-like nucleoside analogs.

Selective DNA-amplification induced by carcinogens (initiators): evidence for a role of proteases and DNA polymerase alpha

Inhibitors of DNA polymerase alpha (aphidicolin, phosphonoacetic acid, phosphonoformic acid) efficiently inhibit initiator-induced amplification of SV40 DNA sequences in the SV40-transformed Chinese hamster cell line CO631. Amplification is also inhibited by various protease inhibitors (antipain, leupeptin, aprotinin, alpha-I-antitrypsin, epsilon-amino-caproic acid, soy-bean protease inhibitor), by the non-initiating but DNA-damaging agent caffeine, and by sodium butyrate, which inhibits DNA synthesis by histone modification. In contrast, an inhibitor of topoisomerase II, nalidixic acid, enhances amplification when applied simultaneously with initiating treatment. This latter compound does not induce amplification when applied without initiator. Cycloheximide induces DNA amplification in the same way as chemical and physical carcinogens. This amplification can still be observed when protein synthesis is completely blocked. The data suggest a complex mechanism of selective DNA amplification. The possible involvement of proteases leading to a functional modification of DNA polymerase alpha is discussed.

Mutually exclusive inhibition of herpesvirus DNA polymerase by aphidicolin, phosphonoformate, and acyclic nucleoside triphosphates

Dual inhibitor studies were performed to examine the interaction of aphidicolin, phosphonoformate, 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine triphosphate, and 9-(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)guanine triphosphate with herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase. Kinetic data indicated that inhibition by one agent prevents simultaneous inhibition by a second agent, producing a mutually exclusive inhibition pattern. This suggested that binding sites on the DNA polymerase molecule for these compounds are kinetically overlapping. These findings should be taken into consideration for the design of future antiviral compounds and combination chemotherapy protocols.

Sensitivity of arabinosyladenine-resistant mutants of herpes simplex virus to other antiviral drugs and mapping of drug hypersensitivity mutations to the DNA polymerase locus

Seven herpes simplex virus mutants which have been previously shown to be resistant to arabinosyladenine were examined for their sensitivities to four types of antiviral drugs. These drugs were a pyrophosphate analog, four nucleoside analogs altered in their sugar moieties, two nucleoside analogs altered in their base moieties, and one altered in both. The seven mutants exhibited five distinct phenotypes based on their sensitivities to the drugs relative to wild-type strain KOS. All mutants exhibited resistance to acyclovir and arabinosylthymine, as well as marginal resistance to iododeoxyuridine, whereas all but one exhibited resistance to phosphonoformic acid. The mutants exhibited either sensitivity or hypersensitivity to other drugs tested--2'-nor-deoxyguanosine, 5-methyl-2'-fluoroarauracil, 5-iodo-2'-fluoroarauracil, and bromovinyldeoxyuridine--some of which differed only slightly from drugs to which the mutants were resistant. These results suggest ways to detect and treat arabinosyladenine-resistant isolates in the clinic. Antiviral hypersensitivity was a common phenotype. Mutations conferring hypersensitivity to 2'-nor-deoxyguanosine in mutant PAAr5 and to bromovinyldeoxyridine in mutant tsD9 were mapped to nonoverlapping regions of 1.1 and 0.8 kilobase pairs, respectively, within the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase locus. Thus, viral DNA polymerase mediates sensitivity to these two drugs. However, we could not confirm reports of mutations in the DNA polymerase locus conferring resistance to these two drugs. All of the mutants exhibited altered sensitivity to two or more types of drugs, suggesting that single mutations affect recognition of the base, sugar, and triphosphate moieties of nucleoside triphosphates by viral polymerase.

Interaction of DNA polymerase and nucleotide analog triphosphates

The properties of virus and host DNA polymerases are important factors in determining the selectivity of deoxynucleotide analogs used in antiviral chemotherapy. The high affinity of herpes DNA polymerase for nucleotide analogs may be particularly important in CMV and EBV-infected cells, since these viruses do not induce the synthesis of a virus-specified thymidine kinase. In general, the effect of nucleotide analog incorporation into DNA may be summarized as follows: analogs with modifications at the base moiety do not affect the rate of DNA chain elongation whereas those modified at the sugar moiety will inhibit the rate of chain elongation. ACGTP and DHPGTP competitively inhibit incorporation of dGTP into DNA; however, steric freedom of the acyclic phosphate may allow these nucleotides to bind virus enzyme in a conformation similar to that assumed by dGTP only at the transitional stage of the enzyme reaction. This may explain the high affinity of virus enzyme for these inhibitors. The interaction of aphidicolin with virus enzyme differs from that with host enzyme. These differences suggest new strategies for antiviral chemotherapy using aphidicolin derivatives.

Cutaneous herpes simplex virus infection of the guinea pig: lack of resistance to acyclovir and phosphonoformic acid after topical treatment

Guinea pigs were infected cutaneously with HSV1 and treated topically with acyclovir or phosphonoformic acid (0.1% to 0.5% solution), or with a combination of both. The therapy was clinically effective and the virus content in the skin diminished. Virus harvests from skin areas in no case showed increased drug resistance, as tested by plaque reduction.

Antiviral properties of psoralen derivatives: a biological and physico-chemical investigation

Two isomeric psoralen derivatives (I and II in Fig. 1) bearing charged side chains, have been tested for activity against Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) in the absence of u.v. irradiation. Striking differences have been observed both in antiviral and cytotoxic activity for the examined compounds, I being appreciably more effective. Metabolic and biochemical studies, as well as physico-chemical measurements indicate DNA as the major target. The different biological behaviour can be fully explained in terms of a modified affinity of the drugs toward DNA. The molecular basis for these findings probably stems from slightly different intercalation geometries, as shown by chiroptical studies. Comparable binding affinities for viral and cellular DNA fully account for lack of selective toxicity found in vivo. The present approach is proposed as a tool for the investigation of structure-function relationships in drug models.

Strains of varicella-zoster virus resistant to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil

Strains of varicella-zoster virus resistant to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil (BV-araU) were isolated from varicella-zoster virus-infected Vero cells which were pulse-treated with 5-iododeoxyuridine or 5-bromodeoxyuridine or both and then treated with BV-araU. These BV-araU-resistant strains (BV-araUr) could not be isolated from varicella-zoster virus-infected cells treated with BV-araU alone and had reduced viral thymidine kinase activity. Two of five BV-araUr strains were also resistant to 5-iododeoxyuridine and 5-bromodeoxyuridine, whereas other BV-araUr strains were relatively susceptible to these drugs. All clones from the BV-araUr strain were susceptible to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and phosphonoacetic acid, but 7 of 10 clones from the BV-araUr strain were resistant to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine. The possible mechanisms of induction of BV-araU resistance are discussed.

Identification of a gene function of herpes simplex virus type 1 essential for amplification of simian virus 40 DNA sequences in transformed hamster cells

Infection with herpes simplex viruses (HSV) lead to a significant increase of the simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA content in the SV40-transformed hamster cell lines CO631 and Elona. Analysis of this gene-amplifying activity revealed (i) that it cosedimented with infectious herpesvirions in sucrose density gradients, (ii) that it was abolished by anti-HSV antibodies or (iii) by antiviral drugs acting on the HSV-induced DNA polymerase; and analysis of temperature-sensitive mutants showed that this DNA polymerase was an essential component of HSV-induced, gene-amplifying activity in SV40-transformed hamster cells.

Resistance of herpes simplex virus to 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]guanine: physical mapping of drug synergism within the viral DNA polymerase locus

A herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) mutant TS6 (strain HG52) induces a heat-labile viral DNA polymerase at the nonpermissive temperature and is markedly resistant to 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]-guanine [2'-nor-2'-deoxyguanosine; 2'NDG]. This antiviral drug requires HSV thymidine kinase for phosphorylation to an active inhibitor (2'NDG-triphosphate), and thymidine kinase-deficient mutants of HSV exhibit varying degrees of resistance to 2'NDG, with the HSV type 1 (HSV-1) B2006 mutant (Kit) being markedly resistant. The ts6 mutation and the 2'ndgR-1 mutation within the viral DNA polymerase locus have been physically mapped by marker rescue and generation of HSV-1/HSV-2 intertypic recombinants. The physical map limits for the ts6 mutation and 2'ndgR-1 mutation are closely linked within a 2.2-kilobase-pair region of DNA sequences and are physically separate from the paaR-1 and acvR-1 mutations. Resistance to 2'NDG by HSV-2 ts6 can be overcome in the presence of combinations of 2'NDG and phosphonoacetic acid, indicating drug synergism within the viral DNA polymerase locus. These physical mapping studies expand the limits of DNA sequences defining an active center in the viral polymerase to 3.5 kilobase pairs, indicating that regions spanning the entire polymerase polypeptide may contribute to a specialized surface able to interact with nucleotides of different structure.

Transcriptional and genetic analyses of the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome: coordinates 0.29 to 0.45

We have constructed a map of the genes encoded by a 23,000-nucleotide-pair region of herpes simplex virus type 1. This region, defined by the three adjacent EcoRI fragments N (map coordinates 0.298 to 0.315), F (0.315 to 0.421), and M (0.421 to 0.448), has previously been shown by genetic analysis to contain the genes for thymidine kinase, nucleocapsid protein p40, glycoprotein B, DNA-binding protein, and DNA polymerase. We report the identification and mapping of RNAs defining 13 viral genes encoded by the region 0.298 to 0.448. The transcriptional pattern shows families of overlapping messages, similar to those observed in other regions of the viral genome. We also isolated mutants representing four distinct complementation groups and physically mapped several of the mutations to regions within EcoRI fragment F by marker rescue. Mutations representing complementation groups 1-9 (glycoprotein B), 1-1 (DNA-binding protein), and 1-3 (DNA polymerase) were mapped to coordinates 0.361 to 0.368 to 0.411, and 0.411 to 0.421, respectively. A fourth previously undefined complementation group was mapped to the region between glycoprotein B and DNA-binding protein. Comparing the transcription mapping with marker rescue data suggests that the genes for glycoprotein B, DNA-binding protein, DNA polymerase, and nucleocapsid protein p40 are expressed as 3.3-, 4.2-, 4.3- or 4.2- or both, and 2.4-kilobase mRNAs, respectively.

Generation of genetic diversity in herpes simplex virus: an antimutator phenotype maps to the DNA polymerase locus

We have measured the spontaneous production of mutants in derivatives of herpes simplex virus type 1 resistant to phosphonoacetic acid. Six such derivatives produced 9- to 123-fold fewer iododeoxycytidine (ICdR-)-resistant progeny (i.e., thymidine kinase deficient) than their wild-type parents. To locate the mutation which controls mutant production in one of the strains (PAAr-5), we constructed phosphonoacetic acid-resistant, recombinant viruses by marker transfer, using wild-type viral DNA and DNA restriction fragments conferring the resistance phenotype. The resultant recombinants also produced very low levels of ICdR-resistant progeny during growth, indicating a close linkage (within 1.1 kilobase pairs) between the drug resistance locus and the sequences controlling production of mutant progeny. Evidence is presented that the low mutant yield in PAAr-5 is not due to abnormal expression of mutants, hypersensitivity to ICdR, altered thymidine kinase activity, or slow replication rates. Since the locus conferring resistance to phosphonoacetic acid in PAAr-5 has been shown previously to be the DNA polymerase gene, we hypothesize that the reduced yield of mutants results from enhanced replication fidelity by the altered DNA polymerase. The existence of antimutator derivatives of herpes simplex indicates that the observed high mutation rate for wild-type strains is an intrinsic property of the virus and may provide a selective advantage during growth in animal hosts.

Fine mapping and molecular cloning of mutations in the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase locus

Mutations in five phenotypically distinct mutants derived from herpes simplex virus type 1 strain KOS which lie in or near the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase (pol) locus have been fine mapped with the aid of cloned fragments of mutant and wild-type viral DNAs to distinct restriction fragments of 1.1 kilobase pairs (kbp) or less. DNA sequences containing a mutation or mutations conferring resistance to the antiviral drugs phosphonoacetic acid, acyclovir, and arabinosyladenine of pol mutant PAAr5 have been cloned as a 27-kbp Bg+II fragment in Escherichia coli. These drug resistance markers have been mapped more finely in marker transfer experiments to a 1.1-kbp fragment (coordinates 0.427 to 0.434). In intratypic marker rescue experiments, temperature-sensitive (ts), phosphonoacetic acid resistance, and acyclovir resistance markers of pol mutant tsD9 were mapped to a 0.8-kbp fragment at the left end of the EcoRI M fragment (coordinates 0.422 to 0.427). The ts mutation of pol mutant tsC4 maps within a 0.3-kbp sequence (coordinates 0.420 to 0.422), whereas that of tsC7 lies within the 1.1-kbp fragment immediately to the left (coordinates 0.413 to 0.420). tsC4 displays the novel phenotype of hypersensitivity to phosphonoacetic acid; however, the phosphonoacetic acid hypersensitivity phenotype is almost certainly not due to the mutation(s) conferring temperature sensitivity. The ts mutation of mutant tsN20--which does not affect DNA polymerase activity--maps to a 0.5-kbp fragment at the right-hand end of the EcoRI M fragment (coordinates 0.445 to 0.448). The mapping of the mutations in these five mutants further defines the limits of the pol locus and separates mutations differentially affecting catalytic functions of the polymerase.

Acyclovir. A review of its pharmacodynamic properties and therapeutic efficacy

Acyclovir (aciclovir) is a nucleoside analogue antiviral drug related to cytarabine, idoxuridine, trifluridine and vidarabine. In common with these earlier antivirals, acyclovir is active against some members of the herpesvirus group of DNA viruses. The efficacy of topical acyclovir has been convincingly demonstrated in ocular herpetic keratitis, and in initial and primary initial genital herpes infection, but little or no clinical benefit was seen when non-primary initial genital infections were assessed separately. Acyclovir ointment demonstrated little benefit in recurrent genital herpes but topical acyclovir cream decreased the course of the infection by 1 to 2 days. Orally and intravenously administered acyclovir were beneficial in initial genital herpes infections, and oral therapy shortened the duration of recurrent infections by 1 to 2 days but did not ameliorate pain. In non-immunocompromised patients with recurrent herpes simplex labialis, generally little clinical benefit was seen with the use of topical acyclovir ointment even when therapy was initiated during the prodromal phase, while topical acyclovir cream effected small but significant improvements in the clinical but not the symptomological course of the disease. However, in immunocompromised patients, both intravenous and topical acyclovir shortened the clinical course of herpes simplex virus infections occurring mainly on the lips, oral mucosa and face, and prophylaxis with either oral or intravenous acyclovir suppressed the appearance of recurrent lesions from latent virus for the period of drug administration, but acyclovir did not eradicate latent herpesviruses. In non-immunocompromised patients, intravenous acyclovir was shown to decrease the acute pain of zoster, especially in the elderly, but postherpetic neuralgia was not ameliorated. When immunocompromised patients were studied, intravenous acyclovir inhibited the progression of zoster infections and shortened the healing time and duration of viral shedding in patients with cutaneous disseminated zoster. However, acute and post-herpetic pain were not significantly affected. Well designed controlled studies are underway to establish the efficacy of acyclovir in herpes simplex encephalitis and cytomegalovirus infections in immunocompromised patients, infections due to Epstein-Barr virus, and neonatal herpesvirus infections. Despite some aspects of the drug's use which require further clarification, acyclovir will make a major impact on the treatment of herpesviral infections. Barring unexpected findings with wider clinical use, it will become the agent of choice in several conditions.

Perspectives on interactions of acyclovir with Epstein-Barr and other herpes viruses

Acyclovir [9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine] inhibits Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication in lymphoblastoid cells at concentrations nontoxic to cellular growth. The mode of action of the drug against EBV differs from the mechanism described in herpes simplex virus systems. Due to the absence of virus-specified thymidine kinase, the drug is poorly phosphorylated in EBV-infected cells. The extent of monophosphorylation is similar both in mock-infected and EBV-infected cells. Despite weak phosphorylation of the drug, the replication of linear EBV DNA is inhibited due to exquisite sensitivity of the viral DNA polymerase. Activation of acyclovir does not require phosphorylation by virus-specified thymidine kinase, inhibition of different herpes-group viruses depends on three variable factors: degree of phosphorylation, cellular metabolism of the drug, and degree of sensitivity of the viral polymerase. Interaction of acyclovir-triphosphate with EBV DNA polymerase is reversible. Cells infected with EBV and treated with acyclovir resume virus replication following removal of the drug even after long exposure. Acyclovir inhibits replication of linear genomes and stops production of virus, but has no effect on latent cellular infection. These results lead us to predict that acyclovir will suppress, but not cure, EBV infection.

Disease and latency characteristics of clinical herpes virus isolated after acyclovir therapy

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 from a bone marrow transplant recipient and HSV type 2 from a patient with genital herpes infection were examined for sensitivity to acyclovir after both patients received therapy with the drug. A 38- and 83-fold shift in sensitivity was detected in association with a marked decrease in viral thymidine kinase activity in isolates from both patients. The resistant HSV-1 isolate was approximately 900 times less neurovirulent to Balb/C mice but had similar cutaneous virulence in hairless mice compared with the patient's sensitive strain. In contrast, there was no difference in pathogenicity between the sensitive and resistant HSV-2 isolates. Latency was detected in the trigeminal ganglia of mice after snout inoculation with both the sensitive and resistant HSV-1 isolates. The ganglion isolate from the resistant HSV-inoculated mouse was found to be sensitive to acyclovir, implying a selection for or reversion of the sensitive phenotype. No trigeminal ganglion latency was detected after inoculation with either HSV-2 isolate. Resistance to acyclovir can arise during therapy as a result of diminished viral thymidine kinase activity but does not appear to be associated with increased virulence.

Herpes simplex virus variants restraint to high concentrations of acyclovir exist in clinical isolates

Acyclovir (ACV) has been shown to inhibit the replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in vitro. We examined a wide variety of HSV clinical isolates for the presence of naturally occurring ACV-resistant (ACVr) variants. Although the ACV doses that inhibited 50% of these isolates were within the range of doses inhibiting 50% of the ACV-susceptible wild-type strains, we successfully isolated variants resistant to high ACV concentrations (25 to 75 microM) from each virion population even in the absence of prior drug exposure. Furthermore, we demonstrated, by fluctuation analysis of two encephalitis strains, that the ACVr variants were clonally distributed in the virus populations before exposure to ACV and did not result from rapid adaptation to ACV. All variants isolated after a single exposure to a high dose of ACV were true ACVr variants, as demonstrated by their plating efficiencies in the presence of ACV. We found that 36 and 50% of the ACVr variants of the two strains examined in detail displayed plating efficiencies in phosphonoacetic acid of greater than 0.1, possibly indicating that many of the ACVr variants contained alterations in the DNA polymerase gene locus. Because the distribution of ACVr variants in natural populations is relatively high (10(-4), these results suggest that selection of ACVr strains during ACV therapy is possible.

Characterization of an herpes simplex virus type 2 mutant, which is resistant to acycloguanosine and causes fusion of BSC1 cells

A mutant of herpes simplex virus type 2, which induces low levels of thymidine-kinase activity in infected BSC1 cells and consequently able to grow in the presence of acycloguanosine, was isolated. This mutant has also been shown to cause fusion of BSC1 cells. In BSC1 cells, co-infected with the wild-type strain and the mutant, the yield of each of the two viruses was normal but the rounding and aggregation of cells observed, resembled that found in wild-type infected cultures. When the mixed infection was performed in the presence of acycloguanosine (100 micrometers), the growth of the two virus strains was inhibited, as well as the cytopathic effect in the cultures. It is suggested that under these conditions, the thymidine-kinase which was induced in the infected cells by the wild-type strain, phosphorylated acycloguanosine and the activated drug formed, inhibited the growth of the two viruses by interference in their DNA syntheses.

Acyclovir-resistant mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1 express altered DNA polymerase or reduced acyclovir phosphorylating activities

The biochemical properties of four acyclovir-resistant mutants are described. Two of these mutants, PAAr5 and BWr, specified nucleotidyl transferase (DNA polymerase) activities which were less sensitive to inhibition by acyclovir triphosphate than their wild-type counterparts. Another mutant, IUdRr, exhibited reduced ability to phosphorylate acyclovir. The fourth mutant, ACGr4, both induced an altered DNA polymerase and failed to phosphorylate appreciable amounts of acyclovir. BWr, a new acyclovir-resistant mutant derived from the Patton strain of herpes simplex virus type 1, induced a DNA polymerase resistant to inhibition by acyclovir triphosphate, but, unlike the polymerases induced by PAAr5 and ACGr4, still sensitive to phosphonoacetic acid. Resistance of BWr to acyclovir mapped close to the PAAr locus and was separable from mutations in the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene by recombination analysis.

Physical mapping of drug resistance mutations defines an active center of the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase enzyme

The genome structures of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)/HSV-2 intertypic recombinants have been previously determined by restriction endonuclease analysis, and these recombinants and their parental strains have been employed to demonstrate that mutations within the HSV DNA polymerase locus induce an altered HSV DNA polymerase activity, exhibiting resistance to three inhibitors of DNA polymerase. The viral DNA polymerases induced by two recombinants and their parental strains were purified and shown to possess similar molecular weights (142,000 to 144,000) and similar sensitivity to compounds which distinguish viral and cellular DNA polymerases. The HSV DNA polymerases induced by the resistant recombinant and the resistant parental strain were resistant to inhibition by phosphonoacetic acid, acycloguanosine triphosphate, and the 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside triphosphates. The resistant recombinant (R6-34) induced as much acycloguanosine triphosphate as did the sensitive recombinant (R6-26), but viral DNA synthesis in infected cells and the viral DNA polymerase activity were not inhibited. The 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside-triphosphates were effective competitive inhibitors for the HSV DNA polymerase, and the Ki values for the four 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside triphosphates were determined for the four viral DNA polymerases. The polymerases of the resistant recombinant and the resistant parent possessed a much higher Ki for the 2',3'-dideoxynucleoside triphosphates and for phosphonoacetic acid than did the sensitive strains. A 1.3-kilobase-pair region of HSV-1 DNA within the HSV DNA polymerase locus contained mutations which conferred resistance to three DNA polymerase inhibitors. This region of DNA sequences encoded for an amino acid sequence of 42,000 molecular weight and defined an active center of the HSV DNA polymerase enzyme.