DEVELOPMENT OF A YEAST RETROTRANSPOSON-BASED SYSTEM USEFUL FOR SCREENING OF POTENTIALLY ACTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL COMPOUNDS

We have developed a new system suitable for easy inexpensive screening of substances potentially active against HEV and other retroviruses. The system evaluates the ability of substances to inhibit the high-fre quency induced retrotransposition of the yeast transposable element Ty 917, and is based on an engineered version of the retrotransposon whic h carries a dominant selectable marker useful for scoring transpositio n events. The system performance was evaluated using two nucleoside an alogues of proved anti-HIV activity 3'-azido-3'deoxythymidine (AZT) an d 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC). Both substances were able to inhibit Ty 917 transposition and could have been detected as potentially active a ntiretroviral drugs using the new screening system.