Fc. Spector et al., INHIBITION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS-REPLICATION BY A 2-AMINO THIAZOLE VIA INTERACTIONS WITH THE HELICASE COMPONENT OF THE UL5-UL8-UL52 COMPLEX, Journal of virology, 72(9), 1998, pp. 6979-6987
With the use of a high throughput biochemical DNA helicase assay as a
screen, T157602, a 2-amino thiazole compound, was identified as a spec
ific inhibitor of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA replication. T157602
inhibited reversibly the helicase activity of the HSV UL5-UL8-UL52 (UL
5/8/52) helicase-primase complex with an IC50 (concentration of compou
nd that yields 50% inhibition) of 5 mu M. T157602 inhibited specifical
ly the UL5/8/52 helicase and not several other helicases. The primase
activity of the UL5/8/52 complex was also inhibited by T157602 (IC50 =
20 mu M). T157602 inhibited HSV growth in a one-step viral growth ass
ay (IC90 = 3 mu M), and plaque formation was completely prevented at c
oncentrations of 25 to 50 mu M T157602. Vero, human foreskin fibroblas
t (HFF), and Jurkat cells could be propagated in the presence of T1576
02 at concentrations exceeding 100 mu M with no obvious cytotoxic effe
cts, indicating that the window between antiviral activity and cellula
r toxicity is at least 33-fold. Seven independently derived T157602-re
sistant mutant viruses (four HSV type 2 and three HSV type 1) carried
single base pair mutations in the UL5 that resulted in single amino ac
id changes in the UL5 protein. Marker rescue experiments demonstrated
that the UL5 gene from T157602-resistant viruses conferred resistance
to T157602-sensitive wild-type viruses. Recombinant UL5/8/52 helicase-
primase complex purified from baculoviruses expressing mutant UL5 prot
ein showed complete resistance to T157602 in the in vitro helicase ass
ay. T157602 and its analogs represent a novel class of specific and re
versible anti-HSV agents eliciting their inhibitory effects on HSV rep
lication by interacting with the UL5 helicase.