Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Many antiviral drugs must be metabolized to their active form by cellular enzymes. Their antiviral activity may therefore be limited by an inefficient metabolism, leading to low intracellular concentration of the active form or to the accumulation of toxic intermediate metabolites. Gene transfer might be used to overcome such limitations by transducing a gene able to increase intracellular drug metabolism. To prove such a concept, we chose the well-studied paradigm of zidovudine (AZT) metabolism and anti-HIV activity. AZT-triphosphate is the active form of AZT, acting through inhibition of HIV reverse transcription. In human cells, the rate-limiting step for AZT phosphorylation is catalyzed by the thymidylate kinase. We thus tested the capacity of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase, which possesses a thymidylate kinase activity, to improve AZT metabolism and antiviral activity. Our results show enhanced AZT phosphorylation in HSV-1 TK-expressing lymphoid and monoblastoid cells, which correlated with significantly improved antiviral activity against different strains of HIV-1. The antiviral activity of Foscarnet, another reverse transcriptase inhibitor that does not require phosphorylation, remained unchanged. These results suggest that gene transfer might be envisioned for genetic pharmacomodulation of antiviral drugs.
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PMID:Use of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase to improve the antiviral activity of zidovudine. 928 20

The present study was undertaken to assess the predictive value of pretherapeutic determinants of ara-C metabolism and proliferative activity of leukemic blasts for early response to antileukemic therapy in the setting of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-based priming before and during TAD-9 induction in 36 consecutive patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Ara-C metabolism was assessed by the activities of deoxycytidine kinase (DCK), deoxycytidine deaminase (DCD), DNA polymerase alpha (Poly alpha), and overall polymerase (overall Poly). The fraction of cells in S phase (%S phase) and thymidine kinase (TK) activity were determined as a measure of proliferative activity. Early response to therapy was defined by the percentage of leukemic blasts in the bone marrow 5 to 7 days after completion of TAD-9 with less than 5% signaling an adequate response and greater than 5% indicating an inadequate early reduction, respectively. While neither %S phase, DCK, nor overall Poly activity were predictive for early response, TK and Poly alpha activities were significantly higher for cases with adequate blast cell clearance. The respective median values were for TK 3.8 versus 1.85 pmol/min/mg protein (P = .012), and for Poly alpha 1.9 versus 0.69 pmol/min/mg protein (P = .014). An inverse relation was detected for DCD activity which was significantly lower in responding patients with a median of 0.33 nmol/min/mg protein (range, 0.0 to 29.5) as compared to a median of 5.1 nmol/min/mg protein (range, 0.11 to 8.45) in early nonresponders, (P = .009). Taking the respective median values as arbitrary cut-points for high or low enzyme activities, responders and nonresponders could be discriminated prospectively. Hence, 14 of 16 cases (88%) with DCD activities below the median of 1.56 nmol/min/mg protein responded as compared to only 3 of 14 (22%) patients with higher DCD activities (P = .0004). From the 15 patients with TK activity above the overall median of 3.2 pmol/min/mg protein, 11 cases (73%) achieved an adequate blast cell clearance while only 6 of 17 cases (35%) with lower values responded (P = .035). Similarly, 12 of 15 patients (80%) with high Poly alpha levels (>1.22 pmol/min/mg protein) responded to induction therapy as compared to only 5 of 14 patients (36%) with lower enzyme activities (P = .02). By logistic regression analysis of enzyme activities, DCD activity was found to be the most sensitive parameter to predict an adequate blast cell clearance (P = .032). Activities of DCD and TK were not only associated with initial response but were also found predictive for remission duration. Hence, from 11 patients with low TK levels 8 (73%) relapsed within 1 year, whereas only 2 of 11 (18%) patients with high TK activity experienced a recurrence of their disease (P = .015). Six of 9 (66%) patients with higher than median DCD levels relapsed within 1 year, whereas 10 of 14 patients (71%) with lower DCD levels had a longer remission duration (P = .085). Analysis of DCD gene expression at the mRNA level by a semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method showed that a high transcription rate of the DCD gene was associated with high enzyme activities and vice versa. Hence, the observed intraindividual differences in DCD activity are a reflection of differences in gene activity and transcription rate rather than of variants in translation. Although further analyses are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that determine the variation of enzyme activities in individual patients, the present study strongly suggests that pretherapeutic determination of TK and Poly alpha as well as of DCD allows to predict response to TAD-9 + GM-CSF induction therapy and may provide the means for the development of a risk adapted treatment strategy.
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PMID:Activity of thymidine kinase and of polymerase alpha as well as activity and gene expression of deoxycytidine deaminase in leukemic blasts are correlated with clinical response in the setting of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-based priming before and during TAD-9 induction therapy in acute myeloid leukemia. 929 31

Skin from acute and healed herpes simplex virus or herpes simplex virus-associated erythema multiforme (HAEM) lesions was examined by polymerase chain reaction with primers for DNA polymerase, ICP8, thymidine kinase (5' end of herpes simplex virus genome), and ICP27 (3' end of herpes simplex virus genome). The primers were herpes simplex virus specific and equally sensitive. The four herpes simplex virus genes were seen in acute herpes simplex virus lesions, but except for one patient, only polymerase (or polymerase and ICP8) were seen in 7-d healed lesional skin. Herpes simplex virus DNA was not seen 1-1.5 mo after healing. HAEM skins from 18 of 24 patients (75%) were positive for polymerase DNA and four of 24 (17%) were also positive for ICP8 or thymidine kinase DNA. Only one tissue (4%) was positive for polymerase, ICP8, and ICP27 DNA. Skin from healed HAEM lesions was still polymerase DNA positive 1-3 mo after lesion resolution. The polymerase DNA signal was in the basal and spinous cell layers of the epidermis and in the outer root sheath of the hair follicle. Polymerase RNA was identified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in skin from acute, but not healed polymerase DNA positive HAEM lesions, suggesting that polymerase expression is associated with HAEM lesion development.
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PMID:Expression of herpes simplex virus DNA fragments located in epidermal keratinocytes and germinative cells is associated with the development of erythema multiforme lesions. 932 89

Long-term treatment of HIV-1-infected patients with antiretroviral agents may result in failure of therapy, due to the rapid emergence of resistant virus mutants with decreased susceptibility to therapeutic agents. However, in addition to viral resistance other factors, i.e. cellular factors, may contribute to the waning efficiency of chemotherapy. It has been shown in vitro that continuous treatment of cell lines with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (zidovudine, AZT), may induce decreased activity of cellular thymidine kinase (TK). Measurements of TK activity in ex vivo stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-1-infected patients who undergo AZT long-term monotherapy as well as combination therapy provide evidence that diminished cellular TK activity may develop. This leads to the assumption that due to long-term treatment with nucleoside analogs, altered drug metabolism in host cells may contribute to inefficient activation of chemotherapeutic agents in HIV-1 patients. Thus, intracellular subtherapeutic levels of the active compounds may develop. In this intracellular environment, selection of resistant virus populations may be promoted. Due to the expanding number of antiretroviral compounds and the requirement for lifelong treatment of HIV-1-infected persons with antiretroviral agents, both viral and cellular resistance mechanisms must be considered in the context of failing chemotherapy.
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PMID:Viral and cellular factors for resistance against antiretroviral agents. 967 44

d4T-5'-[p-Bromophenyl methoxyalaninyl phosphate] (d4T-pBPMAP), a novel phenyl phosphate derivative of 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (d4T) that has an enhanced ability to undergo hydrolysis due to the electron withdrawing properties of its single bromo substituent at the para-position of the phenyl moiety, was found to yield substantially more of the key metabolite alaninyl d4T monophosphate (A-d4T-MP) than the unsubstituted d4T-5'-phenyl methoxyalaninyl phosphate or para-methoxy substituted d4T-5'-phenyl methoxyalaninyl phosphate. d4T-pBPMAP was tested for its anti-HIV-1 activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) and thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient CEM T-cells. d4T-pBPMAP was 12.6-fold more potent than the parent compound d4T in inhibiting p24 production (IC50 values: 44 nM vs 556 nM) and 41.3-fold more potent than d4T in inhibiting the reverse transcriptase (RT) activity (IC50 values: 57 nM vs 2355 nM) in HIV-1-infected TK-deficient CEM cells. Similarly, d4T-pBPMAP was more potent than the unsubstituted or para-methoxy substituted phenyl methoxyalaninyl phosphate derivatives of d4T. d4T-pBPMAP did not exhibit any detectable cytotoxicity to PBMNC or CEM cells at concentrations as high as 10,000 nM. Notably, d4T-pBPMAP was capable of inhibiting the replication of a zidovudine (ZDV/AZT)-resistant HIV-1 strain as well as HIV-2 in PBMNC at nanomolar concentrations. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the potency of the d4T-aryl-phosphate derivatives can be substantially enhanced by introducing a single para-bromo substituent in the aryl moiety.
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PMID:Enhancing effects of a mono-bromo substitution at the para position of the phenyl moiety on the metabolism and anti-HIV activity of d4T-phenyl methoxyalaninyl phosphate derivatives. 987 88

Three aryl phosphate derivatives of 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (d4T) were tested for their anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient CEM T cells. Compared to the parent compound d4T, the lead compound d4T-5'-[p-bromophenyl methoxyalaninylphosphate] with a para-bromo substituent in the aryl moiety was 12.6-fold more potent in inhibiting p24 production (IC50 values: 44 nM versus 556 nM) and 41.3-fold more potent in inhibiting the reverse transcriptase (RT) activity (IC50 values: 57 nM versus 2355 nM) in HIV-infected TK-deficient CEM cells. None of the compounds exhibited any detectable cytotoxicity to PBMC or CEM cells at concentrations as high as 10,000 nM. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the potency as well as selectivity index of the d4T aryl phosphate derivatives in TK-deficient cells can be substantially enhanced by introducing a single para-bromo substituent in the phenyl moiety.
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PMID:D4T-5'-[p-bromophenyl methoxyalaninyl phosphate] as a potent and non-toxic anti-human immunodeficiency virus agent. 987 98

The position-independent expression of transgenes in target cells is an essential subject for determining effective gene therapies. The chicken beta-globin insulator blocks the effects of regulatory sequences on transcriptional units at differential domains. We prepared a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) containing various combinations of the DNase I-hypersensitive site 2 (HS2), 3 (HS3), and 4 (HS4) core elements from the human beta-globin locus control region (LCR), the human beta-globin gene, and the herpes virus thymidine kinase promoter driven neomycin-resistant gene (neoR) (rHS432, rHS43, rHS42, rHS32, and rHS2), and also rAAV containing two copies of the 250-bp core sequence of the chicken beta-globin insulator on both sides of the rHS2 (rIns/HS2/2Ins). After isolating neomycin-resistant mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells infected with each rAAV, we analyzed the rAAV genome by Southern blots and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using primers specific for HS core elements and the human beta-globin gene. All clones contained a single copy of the rAAV genome in the chromosome, however, some of them had a rearranged proviral genome. In five clones with a single unrearranged rAAV genome for each rAAV construct, we assayed the expression of the human b-globin gene relative to the endogenous mouse beta maj-globin gene, using quantitative reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. In clones infected with rHS432, the expression level of the human beta-globin gene ranged from 51.6% to 765.6% of that in the mouse beta maj-globin gene. Likewise, in rHS43, the expression level ranged from 36.7% to 259.0%; in rHS42, from 47.8% to 207.0%; in rHS32, from 47.9% to 105.4%; and in rHS2, from 6.1% to 172.1%, indicating a high variability of expression level in clones infected with recombinant virus lacking the insulator. In contrast, in clones infected with rIns/HS2/Ins, the range of expression of the human beta-globin gene ranged from 52.8% to 58.3% of that in the mouse beta maj-globin gene. These results indicate that the insulator functioned dramatically to reduce the variability of transgene expression due to the position effect. This insulator-rAAV vector system holds promise to provide a constant level of transgene expression for gene therapy, regardless of the insertion sites on the chromosome.
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PMID:Position-independent human beta-globin gene expression mediated by a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector carrying the chicken beta-globin insulator. 1031 78

Deletion of direct repeats in retroviral genomes provides an in vivo system for analysis of reverse transcriptase (RT) template switching. The effect of distance between direct repeats on the rate of deletion was determined for 16 murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based vectors containing a 701-bp direct repeat of overlapping fragments of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (HTK). The direct repeats were separated by spacer fragments of various lengths (0.1 to 3.5 kb). Southern analysis of infected cells after one replication cycle indicated that all vectors in which the distance between homologous sequences was >1,500 bp deleted at very high rates (>90%). In contrast, vectors containing <1,500 bp between homologous sequences exhibited lower frequencies of deletion (37 to 82%). To analyze the pattern of locations at which RT switched templates, restriction site markers were introduced to divide the downstream direct repeat into five regions. RT switched templates within all five regions of the 701-bp direct repeat and the frequency of template switching was greater within the 5' regions in comparison to the 3' regions. The probability of RT switching templates within the 5' regions doubled when the MLV packaging sequence (Psi) was placed between the 701-bp direct repeats. However, Psi did not increase the rate of template switching for shorter direct repeats. These results indicate that linear distance between homologous sequences increases the rate of template switching and suggest that duplex formation between nascent DNA and homologous template sequences 3' of RT promote template switching.
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PMID:Effect of distance between homologous sequences and 3' homology on the frequency of retroviral reverse transcriptase template switching. 1048 39

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) plays an important role in stimulating insulin release in the pancreas as well as inhibiting gastric acid secretion in the stomach. GIP has been found in specific endocrine cells located in the mucosal layer of the small intestine and in the submandibular salivary gland. In this study, the tissue-specific expression of GIP guided by 1.2 kb of the human GIP (hGIP) gene 5' flanking region was investigated by a transgenic mouse approach. A chimeric promoter-reporter gene construct linking the 5'-flanking region of the hGIP gene with the thymidine kinase gene of the herpes simplex virus was introduced into the genomes of mice by microinjection. By reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and thymidine kinase assays, transgene expression was found in the stomach and pancreas. The enzyme activity detected in the stomach was about 6-fold higher than that found in the pancreas, suggesting that GIP may be expressed in the stomach. This observation is supported by RT-PCR studies since both human and mouse GIP transcripts are detected in the stomach and small intestine. In addition, distinct GIP-producing cells were identified in both tissues in mouse by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time that GIP is expressed in human and mouse stomach.
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PMID:Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide gene expression in the stomach: revealed by a transgenic mouse study, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining. 1050 10

Stavudine (d4T) is a potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase. It is known that stavudine is metabolized in cells to the mono-, di- and triphosphate nucleotides but the enzymes responsible for its phosphorylation are as yet unidentified. In particular, there are conflicting results concerning the role of thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) in stavudine metabolism. To gain new insights into this phenomenon we analysed the antiviral activity of stavudine in a TK1-deficient, resistant cell line. The results indicate that TK1 is responsible for the phosphorylation of stavudine but it is not the only enzyme involved in its activation. The other enzyme(s) that might be involved in the metabolism of stavudine, however, are not able to phosphorylate stavudine with the same efficiency as TK1. Since it has been shown that prolonged treatment with zidovudine may induce an in vivo defect in TK1 activity, it is tempting to speculate that patients treated for a long time with zidovudine could be resistant to further treatment with stavudine.
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PMID:Anti-HIV antiviral activity of stavudine in a thymidine kinase-deficient cellular line. 1068 38


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