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H Mitsuya

Publications and source records attributed to H Mitsuya.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Syntheses of 4'-C-ethynyl-beta-D-arabino- and 4'-C-ethynyl-2'-deoxy-beta-D-ribo-pentofuranosylpyrimidines and -purines and evaluation of their anti-HIV activity.

4'-C-Ethynyl-beta-D-arabino- and 4'-C-ethynyl-2'-deoxy-beta-D-ribo-pentofuranosylpyrimidine and -purine nucleosides were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti-HIV activity. The key intermediate, 4-C-ethynyl- or 4-C-triethylsilylethynyl-D-ribo-pentofuranose, was prepared from D-glucose and glycosidated with various pyrimidine or purine bases. The arabinopyrimidine derivatives were prepared from the corresponding ribo derivatives via O(2),2'-anhydro nucleosides. The 2'-deoxy-ribo derivatives were synthesized by radical reduction of 2'-bromo or 2'- phenoxythiocarbonyloxy nucleosides. Among these 4'-C-ethynyl nucleosides, seven analogues proved to be potent against HIV-1 in vitro with EC(50) values ranging from 0.0003 to 0. 03 microM. These compounds also exerted activity against clinical and multi-dideoxy-nucleoside-resistant HIV-1 strains with comparable EC(50) values. Three such 4'-C-ethynyl-2'-deoxypurine analogues including 4'-C-ethynyl-2'-deoxyadenosine and 4'-C-ethynyl-2, 6-diamino-2'-deoxypurine were less cytotoxic [selectivity indices (SIs): 975-2733] than three 4'-C-ethynyl-2'-deoxycytidine analogues (SIs: 63-363). 4'-C-Ethynyl-5-fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine was least toxic (SI: >3333) and potent against all HIV strains tested.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Mutations in the HIV type 1 integrase of patients receiving long-term dideoxynucleoside therapy do not confer resistance to zidovudine.

Metabolites of AZT can inhibit HIV-1 integrase in vitro (Mazumder A, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994;91:5771-5775). To determine if long-term dideoxynucleoside therapy can lead to the emergence of HIV-1 AZT-resistant variants containing mutations in the integrase, we have sequenced the proviral DNA encoding the HIV-1 integrase of nine HIV-1-infected patients at different time points during treatment. Four of the nine patients developed mutations during the course of treatment. Although most mutations occurred at nonconserved amino acids, one patient developed a mutation at codon (R166T), a residue that is conserved among all integrases from known HIV-1 isolates. This mutation was introduced in the recombinant HIV-1 integrase protein to determine if it could confer resistance to AZT in vitro. We show that the R166T integrase mutant is still proficient at carrying 3'-processing and 3' end-joining but that the enzyme is not resistant to AZT-TP. Our results suggest that it is unlikely that integrase inhibition contributes to the antiviral activity of AZT.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interactions of conformationally biased north and south 2'-fluoro-2', 3'-dideoxynucleoside 5'-triphosphates with the active site of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Molecular dynamics simulations of a ternary complex of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), double-stranded DNA, and bound dideoxynucleoside-5'-triphosphate (RT-DNA-ddNTP), utilizing the ddNTPs ddATP, betaFddATP, and alphaFddATP, explain the experimentally observed order of potency of these 5'-triphosphates as inhibitors of RT: ddATP > betaFddATP > alphaFddATP. On the basis of RT's known preference to bind the incoming dNTP (or ddNTP) with a north conformation at the polymerase site, alphaFddATP, which in solution prefers almost exclusively a north conformation, was predicted to be the most potent inhibitor. However, Tyr115, which appears to function as a steric gate to preclude the binding of ribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates, prevents the effective binding of alphaFddATP in its preferred north conformation. The south-biased betaFddATP, while able to bind to RT without hindrance by Tyr115, has to pay a high energy penalty to be flipped to the active north conformation at the polymerase site. Finally, the more flexible and less conformationally biased ddATP is able to switch to a north conformation at the RT site with a smaller energy penalty than betaFddATP. These results highlight the opposite conformational preferences of HIV-1 RT for alphaFddATP and betaFddATP and help establish conformational guidelines for optimal binding at the polymerase site of this enzyme.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Differential influence of nucleoside analog-resistance mutations K65R and L74V on the overall mutation rate and error specificity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) variants with the K65R or L74V substitution display resistance to several nucleoside analogs. An in vitro dNTP exclusion assay revealed an increased fidelity for K65R RT compared with wild-type RT, but little change for L74V RT. When the forward mutation rates were measured via a gap-filling assay, the K65R variant displayed an 8-fold decrease in the overall mutation rate (1.0 x 10(-3) versus 8.6 x 10(-3) for wild-type HIV-1 RT), whereas the rate for the L74V variant was closer to that for wild-type RT (5.0 x 10(-3)). The increase in overall fidelity observed for K65R RT is the largest reported for any drug-resistant HIV-1 RT variant. Nucleotide sequence analysis of lacZalpha mutants generated by variant RTs indicated that K65R RT displays uniform reduction in most types of errors, whereas L74V RT does not. Modeling the substitutions into the x-ray structure of the ternary complex revealed that the major influence of Leu(74) in stabilizing the templating base is unaffected by Val substitution, whereas the K65R substitution appears to increase the stringency of dNTP binding. It is speculated that the increased fidelity of K65R RT is due to an altered interaction with the dNTP substrate.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Mouse and human GTPBP2, newly identified members of the GP-1 family of GTPase.

We earlier identified the GTPBP1 gene which encodes a putative GTPase structurally related to peptidyl elongation factors. This finding was the result of a search for genes, the expression of which is induced by interferon-gamma in a macrophage cell line, THP-1. In the current study, we probed the expressed sequence tag database with the deduced amino acid sequence of GTPBP1 to search for partial cDNA clones homologous to GTPBP1. We used one of the partial cDNA clones to screen a mouse brain cDNA library and identified a novel gene, mouse GTPBP2, encoding a protein consisting of 582 amino acids and carrying GTP-binding motifs. The deduced amino acid sequence of mouse GTPBP2 revealed 44.2% similarity to mouse GTPBP1. We also cloned a human homologue of this gene from a cDNA library of the human T cell line, Jurkat. GTPBP2 protein was found highly conserved between human and mouse (over 99% identical), thereby suggesting a fundamental role of this molecule across species. On Northern blot analysis of various mouse tissues, GTPBP2 mRNA was detected in brain, thymus, kidney and skeletal muscle, but was scarce in liver. Level of expression of GTPBP2 mRNA was enhanced by interferon-gamma in THP-1 cells, HeLa cells, and thioglycollate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages. In addition, we determined the chromosomal localization of GTPBP1 and GTPBP2 genes in human and mouse. The GTPBP1 gene was mapped to mouse chromosome 15, region E3, and human chromosome 22q12-13.1, while the GTPBP2 gene is located in mouse chromosome 17, region C-D, and human chromosome 6p21-12.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Increasing methylation of the CDKN2A gene is associated with the progression of adult T-cell leukemia.

In this study, we examined the methylation status of the CDKN2A gene in patients with different forms of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) using Southern blot analysis, methylation-specific PCR (MSPCR), and nucleotide sequencing. We found that the CDKN2A gene was more frequently methylated in fresh tumor cells isolated from patients with acute ATL (47%) or lymphoma-type ATL (73%) than in those with less malignant chronic (17%) and smoldering (17%) ATL. In addition, deletions of the CDKN2A gene were found in 24% of acute ATL patients; thus, abnormalities of the CDKN2A gene totaled 71% in acute ATL patients. In contrast, no CDKN2A gene methylation was found in asymptomatic carriers or uninfected individuals. Methylation of the p15 gene was not found in any samples from 36 ATL patients. Direct sequencing of the CDKN2A gene after sodium bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA revealed that the methylation of CpG sites had occurred in 24 of 32 ATL cases (75%) including chronic and smoldering ATL, even when MSPCR and the Southern blot had failed to detect CDKN2A gene methylation. Among fresh ATL samples with methylation, methylation was detected in the promoter region and exon in 17 of 24 cases, and methylation in the exon without promoter region was detected in 7 of 24 cases. In one case, the pattern of methylation proved to be different between peripheral blood cells and lymph node cells, suggesting the presence of multiple subclones with regard to methylation patterns, despite the same HTLV-I integration site. Quantitative PCR showed a marked decrease in CDKN2A mRNA expression in the cells with a methylated CDKN2A gene, especially if the promoter region was methylated. These findings suggest that CpG methylation decreases CDKN2A expression and represents a critical factor in the disease progression of ATL.

Blotting, Southern↗

Antileukemic activity and mechanism of action of cordycepin against terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive (TdT+) leukemic cells.

The nucleoside analogue cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine, 3'-dA) is substantially more cytotoxic to terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase positive (TdT+) leukemic cells than to TdT leukemic cells in vitro in the presence of an adenosine deaminase inhibitor, deoxycoformycin (dCF), and has been considered as a therapeutic agent for TdT+ leukemia. The intracellular metabolism of 3'-dA was examined with HPLC, and the mechanism of its anti-TdT+ leukemic activity was analyzed. In the presence of dCF (2.5 microM), TdT+ leukemic cells (N = 5) were sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of 3'-dA, whereas TdT (N = 6) cells were not. A high level of 3'-dA-5'-triphosphate (3'-dATP) formation was detected in TdT+ NALM-6 cells (67 pmol/10(6) cells) and TdT- K562 cells (49 pmol/10(6) cells) when cultured with 1 microM [3'-3H]-labeled 3'-dA. A substantial level of 3'-dATP was detected in TdT HUT-102 cells (27 pmol/10(6) cells), whereas the level of 3'-dATP in TdT+ MOLT-4 cells was low (0.3 pmol/10(6) cells). The mean IC50 values of 3'-dA against phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated and resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) (N = 5) were 8 and 32 microM, respectively. There was a modest level of 3'-dATP (7 pmol/10(6) cells) in PHA-PBM, whereas a lower level of 3'-dATP was detected in resting PBM (2.5 pmol/10(6) cells). These data suggest that the presence of 3'-dATP is not sufficient for the antileukemic effect of 3'-dA, but that TdT positivity is essential, and that PBM are significantly less sensitive to the cytotoxicity of 3'-dA in vitro. Further development of 3'-dA as a potential antileukemic agent to treat patients with TdT+ leukemia is warranted.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Long-term remission in an elderly patient with mantle cell leukemia treated with low-dose cyclophosphamide.

We present an elderly patient with mantle cell leukemia who was successfully treated with low-dose cyclophosphamide (CY). A 76-year-old female was diagnosed as mantle cell leukemia based on abnormal lymphocytosis and splenomegaly without lymphadenopathy. She was orally treated with 50 mg of CY daily and had continuous remission over 4 years. Rearrangements of BCL1 and immunoglobulin heavy chain genes in the peripheral blood lymphocytes were detected at diagnosis, but not 1 or 4 years later. Further studies are required to confirm the role of low-dose CY therapy for patients with mantle cell leukemia and lymphoma.

Aged↗

Analysis of T cell responses to the beta 2-glycoprotein I-derived peptide library in patients with anti-beta 2-glycoprotein I antibody-associated autoimmunity.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease that accompanies anti-phospholipid antibodies measured as either anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL) or lupus anticoagulant. beta(2)-glycoprotein I (beta(2)GPI) is the most common and apparently the best-characterized antigenic target for aCL. To investigate T-cell responses to beta(2)GPI, we stimulated PBMC of 18 APS or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients carrying anti-beta(2)GPI and 10 healthy controls, using a peptide library covering the beta(2)GPI sequence. We established seven CD4(+) T cell lines reactive with beta(2)GPI peptide. Three of four epitopes for patient-derived T cell lines were p244-264, whereas one T cell line from a control subject also recognized p244-264. Furthermore, there was no tendency for particular HLA class II molecules to present beta(2)GPI peptides. However, cytokine producing patterns were significantly different between T cell lines from patients and those from healthy individuals (p =.028); patients' T cells tend to exhibit higher IL-4 and lower IFN-gamma responses. These T cell lines did not react to beta(2)GPI purified from human plasma. These results indicate that beta(2)GPI-reactive CD4(+) T cells of APS/SLE patients mainly recognize cryptic p244-264 in the context of various HLA class II molecules, and exhibit Th0-Th2-type responses. Our findings may provide a clue to the pathogenesis of APS.

Adult↗

Combination therapy with amprenavir, abacavir, and efavirenz in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients failing a protease-inhibitor regimen: pharmacokinetic drug interactions and antiviral activity.

Patients with plasma viral RNA >50,000 copies/mL, despite a protease-inhibitor regimen, received abacavir, amprenavir, and efavirenz to assess efavirenz-amprenavir drug interactions and to evaluate safety and antiviral response. Patients first received amprenavir with abacavir and other nucleoside analogs. Amprenavir levels were measured before and after adding efavirenz. Patients then received a second protease inhibitor. There was evidence of genotypic and phenotypic resistance at study entry. No patient had study drugs discontinued because of toxicity. Efavirenz decreased the steady-state area under the curve, maximum plasma concentration, and minimum plasma concentration of amprenavir by 24%, 33%, and 43%, respectively. Three of 10 patients had >1.5 log10 viral response to abacavir and amprenavir. All 8 patients who added efavirenz had >0.5 log10 decline in viral load, and this response lasted >24 weeks for 3 of the patients. A combination regimen that included abacavir, amprenavir, and efavirenz was well tolerated and had sustained activity in some patients. Concomitant efavirenz therapy decreases amprenavir concentrations.

Adult↗

Synthesis of 4'-ethynyl-purine nucleosides possessing anti-HIV activity.

Searching for more effective anti-HIV agents, we have prepared 4'-ethynyl-purine nucleosides. They were derived in several steps from 4-C-triethylsilylethynyl ribose, which was used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleosides. The adenine derivative exhibited significant anti-HIV activity and favorable cytotoxicity profile in vitro.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Identification of a key target sequence to block human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication within the gag-pol transframe domain.

Although the full sequence of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome has been known for more than a decade, effective genetic antivirals have yet to be developed. Here we show that, of 22 regions examined, one highly conserved sequence (ACTCTTTGGCAACGA) near the 3' end of the HIV-1 gag-pol transframe region, encoding viral protease residues 4 to 8 and a C-terminal Vpr-binding motif of p6(Gag) protein in two different reading frames, can be successfully targeted by an antisense peptide nucleic acid oligomer named PNA(PR2). A disrupted translation of gag-pol mRNA induced at the PNA(PR2)-annealing site resulted in a decreased synthesis of Pr160(Gag-Pol) polyprotein, hence the viral protease, a predominant expression of Pr55(Gag) devoid of a fully functional p6(Gag) protein, and the excessive intracellular cleavage of Gag precursor proteins, hindering the processes of virion assembly. Treatment with PNA(PR2) abolished virion production by up to 99% in chronically HIV-1-infected H9 cells and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with clinical HIV-1 isolates with the multidrug-resistant phenotype. This particular segment of the gag-pol transframe gene appears to offer a distinctive advantage over other regions in invading viral structural genes and restraining HIV-1 replication in infected cells and may potentially be exploited as a novel antiviral genetic target.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Down-regulation of CD98 in melphalan-resistant myeloma cells with reduced drug uptake.

Although melphalan has been used as a therapeutic reagent for multiple myeloma, many patients become refractory. To elucidate the mechanism of resistance to melphalan, we generated a melphalan-resistant myeloma cell line, KHM-11(EMS), by treating a parental line, KHM-11, with a mutagen, ethylmethanesulfonate. KHM-11(EMS) is 55 times more resistant to melphalan. gamma-Glutamylcysteine synthetase, P-glycoprotein, multidrug-resistance-associated protein, lung-resistance-related protein and the Bcl-2 family of proteins were not responsible for the drug resistance in KHM-11(EMS). Intracellular incorporation of melphalan to myeloma cells was determined by using [(14)C]-labeled melphalan. Accumulation of melphalan in KHM-11(EMS) was 43% of KHM-11, while the efflux rates were comparable in both cell lines. The uptake of melphalan was inhibited by the addition of L-phenylalanine, indicating that melphalan is incorporated through the L-phenylalanine transporter as reported previously. Expression of CD98, which was recently cloned as an L-phenylalanine transporter, was 6-fold decreased in KHM-11(EMS), suggesting that CD98 may be correlated with the incorporation of melphalan. CD98 expression and incorporation of melphalan were analyzed in fresh purified myeloma cells from 5 patients. All myeloma cells from 4 cases expressed CD98 at a high level and incorporated melphalan. However, tumor cells from 1 case expressed CD98 at low levels and did not incorporate melphalan. Taken together, reduced melphalan uptake could be responsible for the drug resistance in KHM-11(EMS), and down-regulation of CD98 may be related to this phenomenon. Further investigation of the correlation between impaired drug uptake and down-regulation of CD98 in myeloma cells should be important to understand the mechanism of resistance to melphalan.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Thrombopoietin stimulates murine lineage negative, Sca-1+, C-Kit+, CD34- cells: comparative study with stem cell factor or interleukin-3.

It has recently been reported that human thrombopoietin (TPO) acts on early hematopoietic progenitor cells. Consequently, we investigated the effects of TPO on murine hematopoietic progenitor cells using lineage negative (Lin-), Sca-1+, c-Kit+ marrow cells from 5-fluorouracil-treated mice. One hundred enriched cells were cultured in suspension with various single cytokines for 5 days. When cultured with the single cytokines as stem cell factor (SCF), TPO, or interleukin (IL)-3, these cells were maintained or had increased by day 5, whereas only a few cells survived in cultures with granulocyte colony stimulating factor, IL-11, or IL-6. We extended the study in serum-free or serum-containing suspension cultures with SCF or TPO. Anti-TPO antibodies did not inhibit the effects of SCF on enriched cells but did inhibit the effects of TPO on those cells. We further examined the effects of TPO, SCF, and IL-3 on other populations of murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. Either TPO or SCF as a single cytokine could maintain murine Lin-, Sca-1+, c-Kit+, CD34- marrow cells, which are the most dormant cells. In addition, IL-3 increased Lin-, Sca-1-, c-Kit+ cells more than did SCF and TPO but did not stimulate Lin-, Sca-1+, c-Kit+, CD34- cells more. These results indicate that TPO as well as SCF may be key regulators in the proliferation of murine hematopoietic early progenitor cells.

Animals↗

A novel type of factor XI deficiency showing compound genetic abnormalities: a nonsense mutation and an impaired transcription.

We studied a 29-year-old Japanese male patient with factor XI deficiency; we also studied his parents and one sibling. Factor XI coagulation activity and antigen levels were extremely low (less than 1% of normal level) in both the patient and his brother, and they were half the normal levels in both parents. Sequence analysis of all 15 exons and the exon-intron boundaries of the factor XI gene amplified by polymerase chain reaction revealed a nonsense mutation in exon 8 (Gln263-->Stop). Although the parents are first cousins, the mutation was unexpectedly heterozygous in all the family members except the father, who showed the homozygous wild type, indicating that this mutation alone was not sufficient to account for the factor XI deficiency. To explore the genetic abnormality in the father, we analyzed allele-specific expression of the platelet factor XI gene using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and subsequent restriction enzyme digestion. As a result, gene expression from only one allele was severely impaired in the father. This result implies an additional mutation in some regulatory element of the factor XI gene from paternal inheritance. We concluded that the factor XI deficiency of the patient was caused by compound heterozygous genetic abnormalities.

Adult↗