scholarly journals Polycitone A, a novel and potent general inhibitor of retroviral reverse transcriptases and cellular DNA polymerases

1999 ◽  
Vol 344 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshana LOYA ◽  
Amira RUDI ◽  
Yoel KASHMAN ◽  
Amnon HIZI

Polycitone A, an aromatic alkaloid isolated from the ascidian Polycitorsp. exhibits potent inhibitory capacity of both RNA- and DNA-directed DNA polymerases. The drug inhibits retroviral reverse transcriptase (RT) [i.e. of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV), murine leukaemia virus (MLV) and mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV)] as efficiently as cellular DNA polymerases (i.e. of both DNA polymerases α and β and Escherichia coliDNA polymerase I). The mode and mechanism of inhibition of the DNA-polymerase activity associated with HIV-1 RT by polycitone A have been studied. The results suggest that the inhibitory capacity of the DNA polymerase activity is independent of the template-primer used. The RNase H function, on the other hand, is hardly affected by this inhibitor. Polycitone A has been shown to interfere with DNA primer extension as well as with the formation of the RT-DNA complex. Steady-state kinetic studies demonstrate that this inhibitor can be considered as an allosteric inhibitor of HIV-1 RT. The target site on the enzyme may be also spatially related to the substrate binding site, since this inhibitor behaves competitively with respect to dTTP with poly(rA)˙oligo(dT) as template primer. Chemical transformations of the five phenol groups of polycitone A by methoxy groups have a determinant effect on the inhibitory potency. Thus, the pentamethoxy derivative which is devoid of all hydroxy moieties, loses significantly, by 40-fold, the ability to inhibit the DNA polymerase function. Furthermore, this analogue lacks the ability to inhibit DNA primer extension as well as the formation of the RT-DNA complex. Indeed, inhibition of the first step in DNA polymerization, the formation of the RT-DNA complex, and hence, of the overall process, could serve as a model for a universal inhibitor of the superfamily of DNA polymerases.

Blood ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-518
Author(s):  
RJ Mayer ◽  
RG Smith ◽  
RC Gallo

At least three distinct DNA polymerases, named alpha, beta, and gamma, have been isolated from normal mammalian cells. The function of these enzymes in regard to DNA replication and repair remains unclear. Stimulation of blood lymphocytes with the plant mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA), is known to increase total DNA polymerase activity. In this study, we measured the change of each of these activities as lymphocytes intered a mitotic cycle. Aliquots of a pool of normal human blood lymphocytes were incubated with PHA for 0, 24, 48, and 72 hr, respectively, and the various DNA polymerase activities quantitated at each point. No significant DNA polymerase activity was detected in unstimulated cells. Low levels of polymerase beta were found at 24 hr. The average DNA content per cell doubled between 24 and 48 hr, and during this interval all three DNA polymerases increased to easily detectable levels. By far the greatest fractional increase in activity of all three polymerases was seen between 48 and 72 hr, after the average doubling of cellular DNA. In summary, these blood lymphocytes lack significant levels of DNA polymerases; stimulation with PHA induces all three of the major DNA polymerase species. In both these respects, these cells differ from other proliferating mammalian cell systems. The possible significance of this difference is discussed.


Blood ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Mayer ◽  
RG Smith ◽  
RC Gallo

Abstract At least three distinct DNA polymerases, named alpha, beta, and gamma, have been isolated from normal mammalian cells. The function of these enzymes in regard to DNA replication and repair remains unclear. Stimulation of blood lymphocytes with the plant mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA), is known to increase total DNA polymerase activity. In this study, we measured the change of each of these activities as lymphocytes intered a mitotic cycle. Aliquots of a pool of normal human blood lymphocytes were incubated with PHA for 0, 24, 48, and 72 hr, respectively, and the various DNA polymerase activities quantitated at each point. No significant DNA polymerase activity was detected in unstimulated cells. Low levels of polymerase beta were found at 24 hr. The average DNA content per cell doubled between 24 and 48 hr, and during this interval all three DNA polymerases increased to easily detectable levels. By far the greatest fractional increase in activity of all three polymerases was seen between 48 and 72 hr, after the average doubling of cellular DNA. In summary, these blood lymphocytes lack significant levels of DNA polymerases; stimulation with PHA induces all three of the major DNA polymerase species. In both these respects, these cells differ from other proliferating mammalian cell systems. The possible significance of this difference is discussed.


2002 ◽  
Vol 362 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshana LOYA ◽  
Amira RUDI ◽  
Yoel KASHMAN ◽  
Amnon HIZI

Polyacetylenetriol (PAT), a natural marine product from the Mediterranean sea sponge Petrosia sp., was found to be a novel general potent inhibitor of DNA polymerases. It inhibits equally well the RNA- and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities of retroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs) (i.e. of HIV, murine leukaemia virus and mouse mammary tumour virus) as well as cellular DNA polymerases (i.e. DNA polymerases α and β and Escherichia coli polymerase I). A study of the mode and mechanism of the polymerase inhibition by PAT has been conducted with HIV-1 RT. PAT was shown to be a reversible non-competitive inhibitor. PAT binds RT independently and at a site different from that of the primer-template and dNTP substrates with high affinity (Ki = 0.51μM and Ki = 0.53μM with dTTP and with dGTP as the variable substrates respectively). Blocking the polar hydroxy groups of PAT has only a marginal effect on the inhibitory capacity, thus hydrophobic interactions are likely to play a major role in inhibiting RT. Preincubation of RT with the primer-template substrate prior to the interaction with PAT reduces substantially the inhibition capacity, probably by preventing these contacts. PAT does not interfere with the first step of polymerization, the binding of RT to DNA, nor does the inhibitor interfere with the binding of dNTP to RT/DNA complex, as evident from the steady-state kinetic study, whereby Km remains unchanged. We assume, therefore, that PAT interferes with subsequent catalytic steps of DNA polymerization. The inhibitor may alter the optimal stereochemistry of the polymerase active site relative to the primer terminus, bound dNTP and the metal ions that are crucial for efficient catalysis or, alternatively, may interfere with the thumb sub-domain movement and, thus, with the translocation of the primer-template following nucleotide incorporation.


1974 ◽  
Vol 29 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 72-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Dietzschold ◽  
O.R. Kaaden ◽  
S. Ueberschaer ◽  
F. Weiland ◽  
O. C. Straub

Abstract Typical C-type oncorna virus particles as shown by electron microscopy have been purified from the supernatant of cultured lymphocytes from bovine leukosis. In the purified C-particle fraction a DNA-polymerase activity was detected. Using several synthetic RNA-or DNA-homopolymers and 70S Friend virus RNA the template response of this bovine leukosis cell particle DNA polymerase was compared with those of feline leukaemia virus DNA polymerase and DNA polymerase from normal bovine lymphocytes. The DNA polymerase detected in the viral preparation of bovine leukosis is suggested to be an oncorna-virus-specific enzyme.


Parasitology ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Makioka ◽  
B. Stavros ◽  
J. T. Ellis ◽  
A. M. Johnson

SUMMARYA DNA polymerase activity has been detected and characterized in crude extracts from tachzoites of Toxoplasma gondii. The enzyme has a sedimentation coefficient of 6·4 S, corresponding to an approximate molecular weight of 150000 assuming a globular shape. Like mammalian DNA polymerase α, the DNA polymerase of T. gondii was sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and inhibited by high ionic strength. However, the enzyme activity was not inhibited by aphidicolin which is an inhibitor of mammalian DNA polymerases α, δ and ε and also cytosine-β-D-arabinofuranoside-5′-triphosphate which is an inhibitor of α polymerase. The activity was inhibited by 2′,3′-dideoxythymidine-5′-triphosphate which is an inhibitor of mammalian DNA polymerase β and γ. Magnesium ions (Mg2+) were absolutely required for activity and its optimal concentration was 6 mM. The optimum potassium (K+) concentration was 50 mM and a higher concentration of K+ markedly inhibited the activity. Activity was optimal at pH 8. Monoclonal antibodies against human DNA polymerase did not bind to DNA polymerase of T. gondii. Thus the T. gondii enzyme differs from the human enzymes and may be a useful target for the design of toxoplasmacidal drugs.


Biochemistry ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 34 (32) ◽  
pp. 10106-10112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald S. Fletcher ◽  
Dominique Arion ◽  
Gadi Borkow ◽  
Mark A. Wainberg ◽  
Gary I. Dmitrienko ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (16) ◽  
pp. 8119-8129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eytan Herzig ◽  
Nickolay Voronin ◽  
Nataly Kucherenko ◽  
Amnon Hizi

ABSTRACTThe process of reverse transcription (RTN) in retroviruses is essential to the viral life cycle. This key process is catalyzed exclusively by the viral reverse transcriptase (RT) that copies the viral RNA into DNA by its DNA polymerase activity, while concomitantly removing the original RNA template by its RNase H activity. During RTN, the combination between DNA synthesis and RNA hydrolysis leads to strand transfers (or template switches) that are critical for the completion of RTN. The balance between these RT-driven activities was considered to be the sole reason for strand transfers. Nevertheless, we show here that a specific mutation in HIV-1 RT (L92P) that does not affect the DNA polymerase and RNase H activities abolishes strand transfer. There is also a good correlation between this complete loss of the RT's strand transfer to the loss of the DNA clamp activity of the RT, discovered recently by us. This finding indicates a mechanistic linkage between these two functions and that they are both direct and unique functions of the RT (apart from DNA synthesis and RNA degradation). Furthermore, when the RT's L92P mutant was introduced into an infectious HIV-1 clone, it lost viral replication, due to inefficient intracellular strand transfers during RTN, thus supporting thein vitrodata. As far as we know, this is the first report on RT mutants that specifically and directly impair RT-associated strand transfers. Therefore, targeting residue Leu92 may be helpful in selectively blocking this RT activity and consequently HIV-1 infectivity and pathogenesis.IMPORTANCEReverse transcription in retroviruses is essential for the viral life cycle. This multistep process is catalyzed by viral reverse transcriptase, which copies the viral RNA into DNA by its DNA polymerase activity (while concomitantly removing the RNA template by its RNase H activity). The combination and balance between synthesis and hydrolysis lead to strand transfers that are critical for reverse transcription completion. We show here for the first time that a single mutation in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (L92P) selectively abolishes strand transfers without affecting the enzyme's DNA polymerase and RNase H functions. When this mutation was introduced into an infectious HIV-1 clone, viral replication was lost due to an impaired intracellular strand transfer, thus supporting thein vitrodata. Therefore, finding novel drugs that target HIV-1 reverse transcriptase Leu92 may be beneficial for developing new potent and selective inhibitors of retroviral reverse transcription that will obstruct HIV-1 infectivity.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1868-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darrell R. Thomsen ◽  
Nancee L. Oien ◽  
Todd A. Hopkins ◽  
Mary L. Knechtel ◽  
Roger J. Brideau ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The 4-oxo-dihydroquinolines (PNU-182171 and PNU-183792) are nonnucleoside inhibitors of herpesvirus polymerases (R. J. Brideau et al., Antiviral Res. 54:19-28, 2002; N. L. Oien et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 46:724-730, 2002). In cell culture these compounds inhibit herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) replication. HSV-1 and HSV-2 mutants resistant to these drugs were isolated and the resistance mutation was mapped to the DNA polymerase gene. Drug resistance correlated with a point mutation in conserved domain III that resulted in a V823A change in the HSV-1 or the equivalent amino acid in the HSV-2 DNA polymerase. Resistance of HCMV was also found to correlate with amino acid changes in conserved domain III (V823A+V824L). V823 is conserved in the DNA polymerases of six (HSV-1, HSV-2, HCMV, VZV, Epstein-Barr virus, and HHV-8) of the eight human herpesviruses; the HHV-6 and HHV-7 polymerases contain an alanine at this amino acid. In vitro polymerase assays demonstrated that HSV-1, HSV-2, HCMV, VZV, and HHV-8 polymerases were inhibited by PNU-183792, whereas the HHV-6 polymerase was not. Changing this amino acid from valine to alanine in the HSV-1, HCMV, and HHV-8 polymerases alters the polymerase activity so that it is less sensitive to drug inhibition. In contrast, changing the equivalent amino acid in the HHV-6 polymerase from alanine to valine alters polymerase activity so that PNU-183792 inhibits this enzyme. The HSV-1, HSV-2, and HCMV drug-resistant mutants were not altered in their susceptibilities to nucleoside analogs; in fact, some of the mutants were hypersensitive to several of the drugs. These results support a mechanism where PNU-183792 inhibits herpesviruses by interacting with a binding determinant on the viral DNA polymerase that is less important for the binding of nucleoside analogs and deoxynucleoside triphosphates.


1981 ◽  
Vol 36 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 813-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Eckstein

Abstract Dedicated to Professor Dr. Joachim Kühnau on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday cGMP, DNA Polymerase Activity, DNA Polymerase A, DNA Polymerase I, Baker's Yeast DNA polymerase activity from extracts of growing yeast cells is inhibited by cGMP. Experiments with partially purified yeast DNA polymerases show, that cGMP inhibits DNA polymerase A (DNA polymerase I from Chang), which is the main component of the soluble DNA polymerase activity in yeast extracts, by competing for the enzyme with the primer-template DNA. Since the enzyme is not only inhibited by 3',5'-cGMP, but also by 3',5'-cAMP, the 3': 5'-phosphodiester seems to be crucial for the competition between cGMP and primer. This would be inconsistent with the concept of a 3'-OH primer binding site in the enzyme. The existence of such a site in the yeast DNA polymerase A is indicated from studies with various purine nucleoside monophosphates.When various DNA polymerases are compared, inhibition by cGMP seems to be restricted to those enzymes, which are involved in DNA replication. DNA polymerases with an associated nuclease activity are not inhibited, DNA polymerase B from yeast is even activated by cGMP. Though some relations between the cGMP effect and the presumed function of the enzymes in the living cell are apparent, the biological meaning of the observations in general remains open.


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