UMP/CMPK Is Not the Critical Enzyme in the Metabolism of Pyrimidine Ribonucleotide and Activation of Deoxycytidine Analogs in Human RKO Cells

Human UMP/CMP kinase was identified based on its enzymatic activity in vitro. The role of this protein is considered critical for the maintenance of pyrimidine nucleotide pool profile and for the metabolism of pyrimidine analogs in cells, based on the in vitro study of partially purified enzyme and recombinant protein. However, no detailed study has yet addressed the role of this protein in nucleotide metabolism in cells.Two stable cell lines in which UMP/CMP kinase (mRNA: AF087865, EC 2.7.4.14) can be either up-regulated or down-regulated were developed using Tet-On Gene Expression Systems. The amount and enzymatic activity of UMP/CMP kinase extracted from these two cell lines can be induced up by 500% or down by 95-98%. The ribonucleotides of endogenous pyrimidine as well as the metabolism of exogenous natural pyrimidine nucleosides and their analogs were not susceptible to the altered amount of UMP/CMP kinase in these two stable RKO cell lines. The level of incorporation of pyrimidine nucleoside analogs, such as gemcitabine (dFdC) and troxacitabine (L-OddC), into cellular DNA and their potency in inhibiting cell growth were not significantly altered by up-regulation or down-regulation of UMP/CMP kinase expression in cells.The UMP/CMP kinase (EC 2.7.4.14) expressed in RKO cells is not critical for the phosphorylation of (d)CMP and the maintenance of natural nucleotide pools. It also does not play an important role in the activation of dFdC and L-OddC. The increase by 500% or decrease by 95-98% in the levels of UMP/CMP kinase do not affect steady state levels of dFdC and L-OddC in RKO cells. Overall, the activity and possible mechanisms of recombinant UMP/CMP kinase expressed in the in vitro system can not be extended to that of UMP/CMP kinase expressed in a cell system or an in vivo system

Discovery of a synthetic dual inhibitor of HIV and HCV infection based on a tetrabutoxy-calix[4]arene scaffold.

A potential anti-HIV and HCV drug candidate is highly desirable as coinfection has become a worldwide public health challenge. A potent compound based on a tetrabutoxy-calix[4]arene scaffold that possesses dual inhibition for both HIV and HCV is described. Structural activity relationship studies demonstrate the effects of lower-rim alkylation in maintaining cone conformation and upper-rim interacting head groups on the calix[4]arene play key roles for its potent dual antiviral activities

In vitro selection and molecular characterization of human immunodeficiency virus-1 resistant to non-nucleoside inhibitors of Reverse Transcriptase

Several newly discovered potent and selective non-nucleoside inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) are undergoing evaluation in clinical trials. We studied the potential for development of viral resistance to one of the prototype compounds, BI-RG-587, a dipyridodiazepinone derivative. Human immunodeficiency virus-1 resistant to BI-RG-587 emerged after only one cycle of in vitro infection in the presence of the drug. Resistant virus was cross-resistant to the non-nucleoside tetrahydroimidazo[4,5,1-jk][1,4]benzodiazepin-2(1H)-thione derivative R82150 but remained susceptible to 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides and phosphonoformate. Both native (virion-associated) and recombinant RT derived from resistant virus were insensitive to BI-RG-587 and R82150. Nucleotide sequence analysis of multiple drug-resistant and -sensitive recombinant RT clones identified a single predicted amino acid change common to all resistant clones (tyrosine-181----cysteine). These studies suggest that the viral resistance to non-nucleoside RT inhibitors may develop in vivo. This possibility should be carefully monitored in clinical trials of these compounds

Inhibition of HIV-1 Ribonuclease H activity by novel frangula-emodine derivatives

The HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) associated ribonuclease H (RNase H) activity hydrolyzes the RNA component of the viral heteroduplex RNA:DNA replication intermediate. Even though this function is essential for viral replication, until now only very few compounds have been reported to inhibit it. Anthraquinones are common secondary metabolites which have diverse biological activities. In particular, some of them have been reported to inhibit the HIV-1 RT polymerase and integrase activities in biochemical assays. Given the structural similarities between integrase and RNase H proteins, we synthesized a series of frangula-emodine derivatives and showed that the introduction of a bromine atom in position 7 of the anthraquinone structure leads to derivatives which are able to inhibit both HIV-1 polymerase and RNase H functions at micromolar concentrations. Mechanism of action studies performed on the 7-brom-6-O-phenacyl-1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl anthraquinone (K67) showed that this compound is a non-competitive inhibitor of the RNase H function and that it binds to a site which is not overlapping to the non-nucleoside RT inhibitors binding site. This study demonstrates that anthraquinone derivatives may be a scaffold to be further developed to obtain selective HIV-1 RNase H inhibitors and represent a new step toward the identification of new anti-RT agents

A single conservative amino acid substitution in the reverse transcriptase of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 confers resistance to (+)-(5S)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-5-methyl-6-(3-methyl-2butenyl)imidazo[4,5,1,jk][1,4] benzodiazepin-2(1H)-thione (TIBO R82150)

Tetrahydroimidazo[4,5,1-jk][1,4]benzodiazepin-2(1H)-one and -thione (TIBO) derivatives (e.g., R82150) are potent, human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-specific, inhibitors of reverse transcriptase (RT) that are undergoing initial evaluation in clinical trials. Because HIV-1 has become resistant to other RT inhibitors, we investigated the potential for viral resistance to TIBO R82150 by serial in vitro passage of HIV-1IIIB in the presence of drug. R82150-resistant variants (> 100-fold increase in IC50) dominated the replicating virus population after only three or four passages. R82150-resistant virus was partially cross-resistant to other HIV-1-specific RT inhibitors, including nevirapine (approximately 10-fold increase in IC50) and 1-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6-(phenylthio)thymine (approximately 3.5-fold increase) but remained susceptible to 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides and phosphonoformate. DNA sequencing of cloned resistant RT, combined with site-specific mutational analyses and construction of mutant recombinant proviruses, demonstrated that a single, conservative amino acid substitution (Leu100 to Ile) in HIV-1 RT is responsible for high level R82150 resistance and partial nevirapine resistance. These studies indicate that a subtle mutation in HIV-1 RT can dramatically affect viral susceptibility to an HIV-1-specific RT inhibitor. The clinical efficacy of TIBO derivatives and other HIV-1-specific RT inhibitors may be limited by the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains