Herpes Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Herpes, including details on herpes simplex virus (hsv), genital, oral, symptoms, treatment.

Isolation and characterization of herpes simplex virus type 1 resistant to aminothiazolylphenyl-based inhibitors of the viral helicase-primase.

Liuzzi M, Kibler P, Bousquet C, Harji F, Bolger G, Garneau M, Lapeyre N, McCollum RS, Faucher AM, Simoneau B, Cordingley MG

Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., Research and Development, 2100 Cunard Street, Laval, Que., H7S 2G5, Canada. mliuzzi@lav.boehringer-ingelheim.ca

The aminothiazolylphenyl-containing compounds BILS 179 BS and BILS 45 BS are novel inhibitors of the herpes simplex virus helicase-primase with antiviral activity in vitro and in animal models of HSV disease. To verify the mechanism of antiviral action, resistant viruses were selected by serial passage or by single-step plaque selection of HSV-1 KOS in the presence of inhibitors. Three resistant isolates K138r3, K22r5, and K22r1 were found to be 38-, 316-, and 2500-fold resistant to BILS 22 BS, a potent analog of BILS 45 BS. All three viruses had growth properties in vitro similar to wild-type HSV-1 KOS but they were sensitive to acyclovir. Cutaneous and intra-cerebral inoculation of mice with K22r1 or K22r5 resulted in pathogenicity equivalent to that of HSV-1 KOS. Both isolates were fully competent for reactivation from latency following corneal inoculation. Helicase-primase purified from cells infected with resistant viruses showed decreased inhibition in an in vitro DNA-dependent ATPase assay that correlated well with antiviral resistance. Marker transfer experiments and DNA sequence analysis identified single base pair mutations clustered in the N-terminus of the UL5 gene that resulted in single amino acid changes in the UL5 protein. Taken together, the results indicate that helicase-primase inhibitors prevent HSV growth by inhibiting HSV helicase-primase through specific interaction with the UL5 protein.

Published 19 November 2004 in Antiviral Res, 64(3): 161-70.
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