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The nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors comprise a class of structurally diverse compounds that are functionally related and specific for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RT. Viral variants resistant to these compounds arise readily in cell culture and in treated, infected human. Therefore, the eventual clinical usefulness of the nonnucleoside inhibitors will rely on a thorough understanding of the genetic and biochemical bases for resistance. A study was performed to assess the effects of substitutions at each RT amino acid residue that influences the enzyme's susceptibility to the various nonnucleoside compounds. Single substitutions were introduced into both purified enzyme and virus. The resulting patterns of resistance were markedly distinct for each of the tested inhibitors. For instance, a > 50-fold loss of enzyme susceptibility to BI-RG-587 was engendered by any of four individual substitutions, while the same level of relative resistance to the pyridinone derivatives was mediated only by substitution at residue 181. Similarly, substitution at residue 181. Similarly, substitution at residue 106 had a noted effect on virus resistance to BI-RG-587 but not to the pyridinones. The opposite effect was mediated by a substitution at residue 179. Such knowledge of nonucleoside inhibitor resistance profiles may help in understanding the basis for resistant virus selection during clinical studies of these compounds.

The reverse transcriptase (RT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is potently inhibited by a structurally diverse group of nonnucleoside compounds. These include pyridinone derivatives, tetrahydroimadazo[4,5,1-j,k][1,4]-benzodiazepin-2(1H)-one and -thione, and BI-RG-587 (nevirapine). The compounds act noncompetitively, by an unknown mechanism, with respect to template-primer and nucleotide substrates. Despite a high degree of similarity between the HIV-1 and HIV-2 RTs, the HIV-2 enzyme is totally insensitive to these inhibitors. Using a novel method for joining DNA sequences, we have exploited this difference between the two enzymes to identify the regions of the RT that contribute to the compounds' inhibitory activities. The relative in vitro sensitivities of HIV-1/HIV-2 chimeric and site-specific mutant enzymes were determined. Sensitivity to inhibition was largely, though not exclusively, dependent upon the RT region defined by amino acid residues 176 to 190, with specific contributions by residues 181 and 188. The region defined by residues 101 to 106 was found to functionally interact with the domain from 155 to 217. In addition, the functional equivalence of the three inhibitor groups was shown.

Human rhinoviruses are the major causative agents of the common cold in humans and have been divided into major and minor groups based on receptor specificity. cDNAs encoding the light and heavy chains of a murine monoclonal antibody that recognizes the major group receptor were cloned, abundantly expressed in Escherichia coli, and renatured into Fab fragments that blocked virus binding and protected HeLa cell monolayers from rhinovirus infection. Elimination of the cysteines normally bridging the heavy and light chains yielded molecules indistinguishable from wild-type Fab fragments in virus binding assays. Single-chain antibodies with covalently linked light and heavy variable domains were also expressed and showed receptor binding and cell protection activities. These recombinant antibody fragments are potentially useful in preventing or treating common colds in humans.

To evaluate the potential that multiply resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 variants may arise during combination nucleoside and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy, we constructed a series of mutant reverse transcriptase enzymes and viruses that coexpressed various combinations of resistance-associated amino acid substitutions. Substitutions at residues 100 (Leu-->Ile) and 181 (Tyr-->Cys), which mediate resistance to the nonnucleosides, suppressed resistance to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) when coexpressed with AZT-specific substitutions. However, a number of viral variants that exhibited significantly reduced susceptibilities to both classes of inhibitors were constructed.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease is a homodimeric aspartyl endopeptidase that is required for virus replication. A number of specific, active-site inhibitors for this enzyme have been described. Many of the inhibitors exhibit significant differences in activity against the HIV-1 and HIV type 2 (HIV-2) enzymes. An initial study was conducted to ascertain the HIV-1 protease's potential to lose sensitivity to several test inhibitors while retaining full enzymatic activity. The substrate binding sites of the HIV-1 and HIV-2 enzymes are almost fully conserved, except for four amino acid residues at positions 32, 47, 76, and 82. Accordingly, recombinant mutant type 1 proteases were constructed that contained the cognate type 2 residue at each of these four positions. The substitution at position 32 resulted in a significant adverse effect on inhibitor potency. However, this substitution also mediated a noted increase in the Km of the substrate. Individual substitutions at the remaining three positions, as well as a combination of all four substitutions, had very little effect on enzyme activity or inhibitor susceptibility. Hence, the four studied active site residues are insufficient to be responsible for differences in inhibitor sensitivity between the HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteases and are unlikely to contribute to the generation of inhibitor-resistant mutant HIV-1 protease.

The relative contribution of thymus-derived lymphocytes (T-cells) and of macrophages to resistance to primary infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was studied in C58 mice. Resistance was dependent on macrophage competence, but was relatively independent of T-lymphocyte competence. Although aging mice became progressively more deficient in functional T-cells, as demonstrated by a decreasing resistance to transplanted line Ib leukemia and by declining responses to T-cell nitogens (concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin), their resistance to HSV-1 increased with increasing age. Moreover, in mice that were made selectively deficient in T-cells by the combination of adult thymectomy and treatment with anti-thymocyte serum, resistance to HSV-1 did not correlate spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes. However, selective reduction of macrophages by intraperitoneal injection of silica resulted in enhanced susceptibility to HSV-1. Furthermore, in vitro suppression of HSV-1 plaque formation in mouse embryo fibroblast cells was obtained by cocultivation of infected fibroblast monolayers with peritoneal macrophages, but not with splenic lymphocytes, from adult mice. Macrophages from weanling mice failed to suppress the development of plaques, indicating that the increase in resistance to HSV-1 with age is a result of increased macrophage competence.