Steven R. Turk

A microtiter virus yield reduction assay for the evaluation of antiviral compounds against human cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus

Although the virus yield reduction assay is a powerful technique for evaluating the efficacy of antiviral compounds, it is not routinely utilized due to its labor-intensive nature. This procedure was modified, developed, thereby reducing greatly the time and effort required to perform yield reduction assays. Monolayer cultures of mammalian cells were grown in 96-well microtiter tissue culture plates and infected with virus. Test compounds were added and serially diluted directly with the plates. Following a cycle of virus replication, culture lysates were made and serially diluted in a separate set of uninfected cultures grown in microtiter plates. The cultures were incubated, plaques were enumerated in wells containing 5 to 20 plaques, and virus titers were calculated. To illustrate the use of the assay the known antiviral drugs acyclovir and ganciclovir were evaluated using this procedure. Ninety percent inhibitory concentrations for the respective drugs were 3 microM and 0.7 microM against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 60 microM and 1 microM against human cytomegalovirus.

Selective inhibition of herpes simplex virus ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase by derivatives of 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone.

The effects of thiosemicarbazone derivatives of 2-acetylpyridine on mammalian and viral ribonucleoside diphosphate reductases were investigated. The enzymes were partially purified from uninfected and herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1)-infected KB cells by sequential salt fractionation with streptomycin sulfate and ammonium sulfate and by affinity chromatography on ATP-agarose. The five thiosemicarbazone derivatives investigated were all potent inhibitors of the virus-induced reductase. Fifty percent inhibitory concentrations (IC50 values) range from 2 to 13 microM. Four of the five derivatives also were inhibitors of the host cell reductase (IC50 values = 7-34 microM). A semicarbazone was inactive against the cellular enzyme and relatively weak as an inhibitor of the viral enzyme (IC50 = 340 microM). Four of six compounds were preferential inhibitors of the viral reductase based on a comparison of IC50 values (5- to greater than 85-fold difference). Kinetic experiments revealed that inhibition of the HSV-1 reductase by the thiosemicarbazones was noncompetitive with respect to CDP and dithiothreitol. A comparison of the inhibitory effects of 2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone itself on viral reductase and on virus replication in vitro demonstrated a similarity in the dose-response relationships for the two parameters. This observation supports the hypothesis that the HSV-induced ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase is an important target for the design of antiviral drugs.

Structure-Activity Relationships among α-(N)-Heterocyclic Acyl Thiosemicarbazones and Related Compounds as Inhibitors of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1-specified Ribonucleoside Diphosphate Reductase

2-Acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone, a potent antiviral drug, and 13 analogues were examined as inhibitors of partially purified herpes simplex virus type 1-specified ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase. N4,N4-Azacycloheptane derivatives were more active than their N4-unsubstituted analogues. Selenosemicarbazones were similar in potency to their thiosemicarbazone congeners, whereas a related semicarbazone was much less active. Maximum inhibition was observed when an ethylidene side-chain was present in the compounds. No discernible trend in potency was observed when the pyridine moiety was replaced by quinoline or isoquinoline. Thiosemicarbazide derivatives were less potent than their unsaturated thiosemicarbazone analogues. Inhibitory potencies increased at longer incubation times consistent with the hypothesis that thiosemicarbazones inactivate the enzyme in a time-dependent manner.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 ribonucleotide reductase null mutants induce lesions in guinea pigs.

Two herpes simplex virus type 1 ribonucleotide reductase null mutants, hrR3 and ICP6 delta, produced cutaneous lesions in guinea pigs as severe as those of wild-type strains. The lesions induced by hrR3 resulted from in vivo replication of the mutant virus, suggesting that this virus-encoded enzyme is nonessential for virus replication in guinea pigs.

Activity of acyclic halogenated tubercidin analogs against human cytomegalovirus and in uninfected cells

Novel acyclic halogenated tubercidins (4-amino-5-halo-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)-methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines) were examined for their ability to inhibit human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in yield reduction assays. 5-Bromo acyclic tubercidin (compound 102) was a more potent inhibitor of virus replication than the chloro- and iodo-substituted analogs (compounds 100 and 104). At a 100 microM concentration, the bromo and chloro compounds were more potent than acyclovir but not ganciclovir. Virus titers were reduced more than 99% by compounds 102 and 104 whereas compound 100 and the equally potent acyclovir reduced titers by only 90%. Quantitation of viral DNA by DNA hybridization demonstrated strong inhibition of HCMV DNA synthesis by these compounds. The most potent inhibitor, compound 102, had a 50% inhibitory (I50) concentration (1.6 microM) comparable to that of ganciclovir (1.8 microM). Cytotoxicity in uninfected human cells was evaluated and revealed the following: cell growth rates slowed markedly in the presence of 10 microM compound 102 whereas the same concentration of compounds 100 and 104 led to only a slight prolongation of population doubling time; these compounds inhibited cellular DNA synthesis but not RNA or protein synthesis, as measured by incorporation of radiolabeled precursors into acid-precipitable macromolecules; flow cytometry indicated that compound 102 was a mid-S phase blocker, and adenosine antagonized the inhibition of [3H]dThd incorporation by compound 102. Together, these results demonstrate that compound 102 is a potent and selective inhibitor of viral and cellular DNA synthesis and that acyclic halogenated pyrrolo-pyrimidine nucleosides may have therapeutic potential.