A KINETIC-MODEL FOR COMPARING PROTEOLYTIC PROCESSING ACTIVITY AND INHIBITOR RESISTANCE POTENTIAL OF MUTANT HIV-1 PROTEASES

A kinetic model is presented for the comparison of potential proteolyt ic processing activities of wild-type and mutant human immunodeficienc y virus proteases in the presence and absence of protease inhibitors. The protease processing of gag substrate in the immature virions is as sessed by the kinetic parameters, k(cat), K-m and K-i. The relationshi p of the estimated potential processing activities to the viability of the HIV mutants and their tendencies to resist inhibitors also are di scussed. A fully developed model has the potential to simulate the res ults of inhibitor resistance either in vivo or in cell culture.