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Impact of unreported HIV-1 reverse transcriptase mutations on phenotypic resistance to nucleoside and non-nucleoside inhibitors.

An extended spectrum of HIV-1 reverse-transcriptase (RT) mutations in HAART-treated patients has been recently described. To verify the possible association of previously unreported RT mutations with a decrease of phenotypic susceptibility to nucleoside (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside (NNRTIs) RT inhibitors, the RT sequence of 328 HIV-1-positive patients (102 naïve and 226 treated with HAART participating in either the PhenGen or Genpherex study) was analyzed. All treated patients were tested at the time of therapeutic failure with both phenotypic (Antivirogram, Virco) and genotypic analyses (VircoGen); the frequency of RT substitutions (positions 1-240) with respect to consensus B was compared to that of naïve patients using a Chi-square test. Amino acid changes at 13 positions not included in the IAS list of resistance-associated mutations were detected more frequently in treated than in naïve subjects. The mutations involving 10 of these positions were associated with a reduced susceptibility to antiretroviral drugs; K20R, T39A, K43EQN, E203KD, H208Y, and D218E were correlated with NRTI resistance while mutations K101EQP, H221Y, K223EQ, L228HR were associated to NNRTI resistance. A correlation was found between K20R and lamivudine resistance (P = 0.006) while T39A (P = 0.005), K43EQN (<0.001), E203KD (P = 0.010), and H208Y (P = < 0.001) seemed to be associated with a previous use of zidovudine and stavudine and with the development of thymidine analog resistance. For H208Y, an association with use/resistance to abacavir (P = 0.004) was also noted. D218E showed a weak association to didanosine resistance (P = 0.013). The data confirm that previously unreported mutations are associated with antiretroviral drug experience and, more importantly, with a reduced susceptibility to NRTIs and NNRTIs.

Adult↗

Evaluation of selected Sudanese medicinal plants for their in vitro activity against hemoflagellates, selected bacteria, HIV-1-RT and tyrosine kinase inhibitory, and for cytotoxicity.

Ethnobotanical investigations led to the selection of 19 plant species, used traditionally in Sudan against malaria and other similar tropical diseases, for further studies. Pamianthe peruviana (Amaryllidaceae) exhibited significant activity against a chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain (K1) and a chloroquine-sensitive strain (NF54) with IC(50) values of 0.6 and 1.1 microg/ml, respectively. Additionally, P. peruviana showed considerable activities against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (IC(50) 1.5 microg/ml) and T. cruzi (IC(50) 11.8 microg/ml). The antiplasmodial activity of the different extracts of Salvadora persica (Salvadoraceae) against P. falciparum NF54 strain were found to be 0.6 microg/ml (stems) and 0.7 microg/ml (leaves). Extracts of different parts of Combretum hartmannianum (Combretaceae) possessed significant activity against the chloroquine-sensitive P. falciparum strain (NF54) with IC(50) values of 0.2 microg/ml (bark), 0.4 microg/ml (stem) and 4.3 microg/ml (leaves). Most interestingly, the extracts of the leaves of C. hartmannianum totally inhibited the enzyme HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) at a concentration of 66 microg/ml. A comparably strong activity against p56(lck) tyrosine kinase was also seen for this extract.

Animals↗

Crystal structure of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in complex with a polypurine tract RNA:DNA.

We have determined the 3.0 A resolution structure of wild-type HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in complex with an RNA:DNA oligonucleotide whose sequence includes a purine-rich segment from the HIV-1 genome called the polypurine tract (PPT). The PPT is resistant to ribonuclease H (RNase H) cleavage and is used as a primer for second DNA strand synthesis. The 'RNase H primer grip', consisting of amino acids that interact with the DNA primer strand, may contribute to RNase H catalysis and cleavage specificity. Cleavage specificity is also controlled by the width of the minor groove and the trajectory of the RNA:DNA, both of which are sequence dependent. An unusual 'unzipping' of 7 bp occurs in the adenine stretch of the PPT: an unpaired base on the template strand takes the base pairing out of register and then, following two offset base pairs, an unpaired base on the primer strand re-establishes the normal register. The structural aberration extends to the RNase H active site and may play a role in the resistance of PPT to RNase H cleavage.

Crystallography↗

Rapid kinetic analysis of a point mutant of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase lacking ribonuclease H activity.

The comparative kinetics of RNA-dependent DNA polymerization catalyzed by wild-type HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and a point mutant specifically lacking RNase H activity were analyzed using a heteropolymeric substrate consisting of a 19-mer primer hybridized to a 345-nucleotide RNA template. The rapid-quench product distributions generated under single-turnover conditions, in which primer extension by the two enzymes was restricted to the incorporation of 5 nucleotides (N+5), were significantly different. Whereas the wild-type enzyme catalyzed synthesis of the N+5 product over the time course of the reaction (20 ms-10 s) with a relatively low degree of processivity, the extent of accumulation of the intermediate N+2 and N+3 products was grossly exaggerated in the parallel mutant-catalyzed time course. The observation of concomitant polymerase-dependent hydrolysis during the course of synthesis catalyzed by the wild-type enzyme suggested that the inability of the RNase H- mutant to hydrolyze the RNA template created blocks to further synthesis by reducing the rates of DNA polymerization at these intermediate positions, and hence impaired the ability of this mutant to complete cDNA synthesis.

Base Sequence↗

Insights into DNA polymerization mechanisms from structure and function analysis of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

When the single-stranded RNA genome of HIV-1 is copied into double-stranded DNA, the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT) catalyzes the addition of approximately 20,000 nucleotides; however, the precise mechanism of nucleotide addition is unknown. In this study, we attempt to integrate the genetic data and biochemical mechanism of DNA polymerization with the structure of HIV-1 RT complexed with a dsDNA template-primer. The first step of polymerization involves the physical association of a polymerase with its nucleic acid substrate. A comparison of the structures of HIV-1 RT in the presence and absence of DNA indicates that the tip of the p66 thumb moves approximately 30 A upon DNA binding. This conformational change permits numerous interactions between residues of alpha-helices H and I in the thumb subdomain and the DNA. Measurements of DNA binding affinity for nucleic acids with double-stranded DNAs that have an increasing number of bases in the template overhang and molecular modeling suggest that portions of beta 3 and beta 4 within the fingers subdomain bind single-stranded regions of the template. Measurements of nucleotide incorporation efficiency (kcat/Km) show that the binding and incorporation of the next complementary nucleotide are not dependent on the length of the template overhang. Molecular modeling of an incoming nucleotide triphosphate (dTTP), based in part on the position of mercury atoms in a RT/DNA/Hg-UTP/Fab structure, suggests that portions of secondary structural elements alpha C-beta 6, alpha E, beta 11b, and beta 9-beta 10 determine the topology of the dNTP-binding site. These results also suggest that nucleotide incorporation is accompanied by a protein conformational change that positions the dNTP for nucleophilic attack. Nucleophilic attack by the oxygen atom of the 3'-OH group of the primer strand could be metal-mediated, and Asp185 may be directly involved in stabilizing the transition state. The translocation step may be characterized by rotational as well as translational motions of HIV-1 RT relative to the DNA double helix. Some of the energy required for translocation could be provided by dNTP hydrolysis and could be coupled with conformational changes within the nucleic acid. A structural comparison of HIV-1 RT, Klenow fragment, and T7 RNA polymerase identified regions within T7 RNA polymerase which are not present in the other two polymerases that might help this polymerase to remain bound with nucleic acids and contribute to the ability of the T7 RNA polymerase to polymerize processively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Probing structure/function relationships of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with styrene oxide N2-guanine adducts.

Details of the interactions between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase and substrate DNA were probed both by introducing site-specific and stereospecific modifications into DNA and by altering the structure of potential critical residues in the polymerase. Unadducted 11-mer DNAs and 11-mer DNAs containing R and S enantiomers of styrene oxide at N2-guanine were ligated with two additional oligonucleotides to create 63-mers that served as templates for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase replication. Oligonucleotides that primed synthesis 5 bases 3' to the adducts could be extended up to 1 base 3' and opposite the lesion. However, when the positions of the 3'-OH of the priming oligonucleotides were placed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 bases downstream of the styrene oxide guanine adducts, replication was initiated, only to be blocked after incorporating 4, 5, 6, and 7 bases beyond the lesion. The sites of this adduct-induced termination corresponded to the position of the DNA where alpha-helix H makes contact with the DNA minor groove, 3-5 bases upstream of the growing 3' end. In addition, mutants of the polymerase in alpha-helix H (W266A and G262A) alter the termination probabilities caused by these DNA adducts, suggesting that alpha-helix H is a sensitive monitor of modifications in the minor groove of newly synthesized template-primer DNA several bases distal to the 3'-OH.

Base Sequence↗

Reduced frameshift fidelity and processivity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase mutants containing alanine substitutions in helix H of the thumb subdomain.

We have analyzed two human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase mutants of helix H in the thumb subdomain suggested by x-ray crystallography to interact with the primer strand of the template-primer. These enzymes, G262A and W266A, were previously shown to have greatly elevated dissociation rate constants for template-primer and to be much less sensitive to inhibition by 3'-azidodeoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate. Here we describe their processivity and error specificity. The results reveal that: (i) both enzymes have reduced processivity and lower fidelity for template-primer slippage errors, (ii) they differ from each other in sequence-dependent termination of processive synthesis and in error specificity, and (iii) the magnitude of the mutator effect relative to wild-type enzyme for deletions in homopolymeric sequences decreases as the length of the run increases. Thus amino acid substitutions in a subdomain thought to interact with the duplex template-primer confer a strand slippage mutator phenotype to a replicative DNA polymerase. This suggests that interactions between specific amino acids and the primer stem at positions well removed from the active site are critical determinants of processivity and fidelity. These effects, obtained in aqueous solution during catalytic cycling, are consistent with and support the existing crystallographic structural model.

Alanine↗

Peptides as new inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and integrase.

Current treatments of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection consist in the combination of drugs targeting reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR). Despite the multiple clinical benefits of this combination therapy, the emergence of resistance highlights the need for new anti-HIV agents. Agents able to interfere with additional steps of viral replication, such as integration of viral DNA in the host genome, would improve the antiviral potency of the treatment. In this regard, we have focused our interest on peptide-based compounds that have been shown to exhibit potential inhibition of RT and integrase (IN) activities in vitro and in vivo. Recently, the expansion of powerful technologies which allow the selection of peptides exhibiting high affinity for a target protein have provided a new approach to selecting potential anti-HIV drugs. Furthermore, efforts to characterize the protein-protein interactions involved in efficient reverse transcription and integration, as well as the determination of the enzyme structure, have generated a very useful source of data for the development of peptide inhibitors. Finally, while this class of compounds has long been considered as poor drug candidates, current knowledge on improving the stability and bioavailability of these agents would lead to the effective use of peptides in therapy.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Catalytically distinct conformations of the ribonuclease H of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase by substrate cleavage patterns and inhibition by azidothymidylate and N-ethylmaleimide.

The RNase H activity of recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) has been characterized with respect to inhibition by azidothymidylate (AZTMP) and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and to cleavage patterns using either poly(rA)/poly(dT) or poly(rG)/poly(dC) as model substrate and either Mg2+ or Mn2+ as divalent cation activator. The inhibitory potency of AZTMP and other nucleotide analogues was found to be dependent on both the composition of the substrate and the divalent cation. The enzyme was significantly more sensitive to AZTMP inhibition with poly(rG)/poly(dC) than with poly(rA)/poly(dT) as substrate and in Mn2+ than in Mg2+ with either substrate. Kinetic studies indicated that AZTMP is a competitive inhibitor with respect to the substrate in Mn2+ whereas it behaves as an uncompetitive inhibitor in Mg2+. These results suggest that the enzyme may exist in two distinct forms depending on whether Mg2+ or Mn2+ is the divalent cation activator. Consistent with this suggestion is the alteration in the mode of cleavage of the substrate upon substitution of Mg2+ with Mn2+. In Mg2+, hydrolysis of poly(rA)/poly(dT) appears to be solely endonucleolytic, whereas in Mn2+, hydrolysis is both endonucleolytic and exonucleolytic. With poly(rG)/poly(dC) as substrate, hydrolysis is both endonucleolytic and exonucleolytic in either Mg2+ or Mn2+. There is a positive correlation between sensitivity to AZTMP and production of mononucleotides, suggesting that the exonuclease activity of RNase H is preferentially inhibited by AZTMP. The sensitivity of RNase H to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide was also found to be markedly influenced by the substrate composition and the divalent cation activator, being most sensitive under conditions in which endonucleolytic activity predominates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Catalysis↗

Validation of a model for the complex of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with nonnucleoside inhibitor TMC125.

The structure for the complex of nonnucleoside inhibitor TMC125 and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase has been determined and validated through computation of resistance profiles using Monte Carlo/free-energy perturbation calculations. The good quantitative agreement between the computed and experimental anti-HIV activities for TMC125, nevirapine, and efavirenz with wild-type RT and four common mutants (L100I, K103N, Y181C, and Y188L) confirms the correctness of the predicted structure and provides insights into the improved potency of this novel NNRTI. The blue shading in the figure indicates basic residues.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

Simultaneous quantitation of nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors by short-end injection capillary electrochromatography on a beta-cyclodextrin-bonded silica stationary phase.

As part of our on-going study of the analysis and quantitation of anti-HIV nucleosides, a capillary electrochromatography (CEC) method has been developed for the simultaneous quantitation of nucleoside HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), i.e. zidovudine (AZT), lamivudine (3TC), didanosine (ddA) and its administrated form (ddI), stavudine (d4T) and hivid (ddC). CEC on chiral stationary phase has mainly been dedicated to the separation of enantiomers. However, this paper explores an original application of a beta-cyclodextrin-bonded silica packed column, taking advantage of the internal hydrophobicity of the polysaccharide to separate the NRTIs. The influence of several parameters (pH buffer, ionic strength, acetonitrile content, temperature and voltage) has been investigated using the short-end injection technique to achieve baseline separation in a short-time analysis before quantitation.

Chromatography, Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary↗

Inhibitory effect of N3-methyl derivative of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate on the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

N3-Methyl derivative of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate (Me-AZTTP) showed a potent inhibitory effect on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase using MS2 phage RNA as the template. The inhibition mechanism of MeAZTTP was noncompetitive with respect to any of the template MS2 RNA, dATP and dCTP. On the other hand, MeAZTTP showed a mixed-type inhibition with respect to dGTP and dTTP. These results indicate that MeAZTTP competes not only with dTTP but also with dGTP.

Antiviral Agents↗

Mechanistic basis for reduced viral and enzymatic fitness of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase containing both K65R and M184V mutations.

HIV-1 drug resistance mutations are often inversely correlated with viral fitness, which remains poorly described at the molecular level. Some resistance mutations can also suppress resistance caused by other resistance mutations. We report the molecular mechanisms by which a virus resistant to lamivudine with the M184V reverse transcriptase mutation shows increased susceptibility to tenofovir and can suppress the effects of the tenofovir resistance mutation K65R. Additionally, we report how the decreased viral replication capacity of resistant viruses is directly linked to their decreased ability to use natural nucleotide substrates and that combination of the K65R and M184V resistance mutations leads to greater decreases in viral replication capacity. All together, these results define at the molecular level how nucleoside-resistant viruses can be driven to reduced viral fitness.

Adenine↗

Newly synthesized L-enantiomers of 3'-fluoro-modified beta-2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates inhibit hepatitis B DNA polymerases but not the five cellular DNA polymerases alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon nor HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Novel beta-L-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-fluoro nucleosides were synthesized and further converted to their 5'-triphosphates. Their inhibitory activities against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) DNA polymerases, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase (RT), and the cellular DNA polymerases alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon were investigated and compared with those of the corresponding 3'-fluoro-modified beta-d-analogues. The 5'-triphosphates of 3'-deoxy-3'-fluoro-beta-L-thymidine (beta-L-FTTP), 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-fluoro-beta-L-cytidine (beta-L-FdCTP), and 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-fluoro-beta-l-5-methylcytidine (beta-L-FMetdCTP) emerged as effective inhibitors of HBV/DHBV DNA polymerases (IC50 = 0.25-10.4 microM). They were either equally (FTTP) or less (FMetdCTP, FdCTP) effective than their beta-d-counterparts. Also the 5'-triphosphate of beta-L-thymidine (beta-L-TTP) was shown to be a strong inhibitor of these two viral enzymes (IC50 = 0.46/1.0 microM). However, all beta-L-FdNTPs (also beta-L-TTP) were inactive against HIV-RT, a result which contrasts sharply with the high efficiency of the beta-D- FdNTPs against this polymerase. Between the cellular DNA polymerases only the beta and gamma enzymes displayed a critical susceptibility to beta-D-FdNTPs which is largely abolished by the beta-L-enantiomers. These results recommend beta-L-FTdR, beta-L-FCdR, and beta-L-FMetCdR for further evaluation as selective inhibitors of HBV replication at the cellular level.

Animals↗

DNA secondary structure effects on DNA synthesis catalyzed by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

The effect of DNA secondary structure on polymerization catalyzed by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) was studied using a synthetic 66-nucleotide DNA template containing a stable hairpin structure. Four RT pause sites were identified within the first half of the hairpin stem. Additionally, five weak pause sites within the second half of the stem and the loop of the hairpin were identified at low temperatures. These weak pause sites were relocated to the site of the first few stem base pairs of two new hairpins formed due to a change in DNA secondary structure. Each pause site was correlated with a high free energy barrier of melting the stem base pair. Pre-steady state kinetic analysis of single nucleotide incorporation showed that polymerization at each pause site occurred by both a fast phase (10-20 s-1) and a slow phase (0. 02-0.07 s-1) during a single binding event. The reaction amplitudes of the fast phase were small (4-10% of enzyme sites), whereas the amplitudes of the slow phase were large (14-40%) at the pause sites. In contrast, only a single phase with a large reaction amplitude (32-50%) and a fast nucleotide incorporation rate (33-87 s-1) was observed at the non-pause sites. DNA substrates at all sites had similar dissociation rates (0.14-0.29 s-1) and overall binding affinity (16-86 nM). These results suggest that the DNA substrates at pause sites were bound in both productive and non-productive states at the polymerase site of RT. The non-productively bound DNA was slowly converted into a productive state upon melting of the next stem base pair without dissociation of the DNA from RT.

Base Pairing↗