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Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of 8-bromo-2'-deoxyadenosine with terminal alkynes in the presence of copper(I) iodide in dimethylformamide resulted in a series of 8-(1-alkyn-1-yl)-2'-deoxyadenosines. Hydrogenation of alkynyl derivatives over 10% Pd/C under atmospheric pressure gave 8-n-alkyl analogues in nearly quantitative yields. On partial saturation of heptynyl, pentynyl, and propynyl derivatives over Lindlar catalyst, the corresponding cis-olefins were obtained along with minor amounts of trans isomers. Of the analogues tested, the following showed some activity, i.e. they were found to be active at concentrations that were at least 3-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentrations: the 8-heptynyl derivative against vaccinia virus (VV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); the 8-propyl derivative against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and CMV; the 8-pentyl derivative against CMV; the 8-heptyl derivative against VV, CMV, RSV, and influenza A; and the 8-heptenyl derivative against VV, RSV, and influenza A. The unsubstituted 2'-deoxyadenosine did not show any antiviral effect, except against RSV. Except for 8-propyl-dA, the antivirally active dA analogues were rather inhibitory to the growth of human embryonic lung cells. The most cytotoxic was the 8-ethynyl derivative.

The cytoplasmic assembly of vaccinia virus is reversibly blocked by the antibiotic rifampin, leading to the accumulation of partially membrane-delineated rifampin bodies in infected cells. Rifampin-resistant vaccinia virus mutants have point mutations in the D13L gene, which is controlled by a late promoter and expresses a 65-kDa protein, designated p65. To further characterize the mechanism of rifampin inhibition and the function of p65 in virus assembly, we raised antibodies to this protein. Immunoreactive p65 was expressed at late times of infection, and neither its expression nor its turnover was affected by rifampin. Virus-associated p65 could be extracted only with denaturing detergents from purified virions, suggesting that it is an integral viral component. Immunofluorescence studies showed that p65 is localized to the sites of virus assembly. Also, immunoelectron microscopy showed p65 to be associated with viral crescents as well as spherical, immature virions, in both cases predominantly on the inner or concave surface. In the presence of rifampin, p65 was found in large, cytoplasmic inclusion bodies that were distinct from rifampin bodies. The rifampin bodies themselves were labeled with p65 antibodies only after reversal of the rifampin block, predominantly on the viral crescents which rapidly formed following removal of the drug. We propose that p65 functions as an internal scaffold in the formation of viral crescents and immature virions, analogously to the matrix proteins of other viruses.

The effect of the immune modulator, Cyclosporin A (CsA) on vaccinia virus replication has been examined in cell cultures. In the present study we report that CsA is anti-viral towards vaccinia virus. Viral yield was inhibited by more than 97% after 24 h postinfection in the presence of 16 microM to 40 microM CsA. An analysis of the infectious cycle in greater detail revealed that CsA did not effect the total level of [35S] methionine incorporation into vaccinia infected cells. However, both early and late viral gene expression were inhibited by CsA. Late viral protein synthesis appeared to be more sensitive to the drug. At least one late viral polypeptide of approximately Mr 38,000 was virtually undetected up to 8 h postinfection in the presence of 40 microM CsA. Host protein synthesis which is normally inhibited by the virus was not turned off until very late in infection. Viral DNA replication was also inhibited by the addition of CsA at levels comparable to those observed for late protein synthesis.

Reaction of dimethyl acylphosphonates (1) with thiosemicarbazide afforded the corresponding dimethyl acylphosphonate thiosemicarbazones (4). Lithium methyl acylphosphonate thiosemicarbazones (5) could be prepared either by monodealkylating compounds 4 by lithium bromide or by reacting lithium methyl acylphosphonates with thiosemicarbazide. Dihydrogen acylphosphonate thiosemicarbazones (6) could be obtained by reacting acylphosphonic acids (3) with thiosemicarbazide. The alternative approach to 6 by di-dealkylating compounds 4 using bromotrimethylsilane was limited by the solubility properties of esters 4. Compounds of types 5 and 6 did not show antiviral activity against herpes simplex type 1 and 2, or toward vaccinia virus.

The 14.7-kilodalton protein (14.7K protein) encoded by the adenovirus (Ad) E3 region inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-mediated lysis of cells in tissue culture experiments, but the relevance of this effect in vivo is incompletely understood. To examine the effect of the ability of the Ad 14.7K protein to block TNF lysis upon viral pathogenesis in a murine model, we cloned the 14.7K protein-encoding gene into vaccinia virus (VV), permitting its study in isolation from other Ad E3 immunomodulatory proteins. The gene for murine TNF-alpha was inserted into the same VV containing the 14.7K gene to ensure that each cell infected with the VV recombinant would express both the agonist (TNF) and its antagonist (14.7K). VV was utilized as the vector because it accommodates large and multiple inserts of foreign DNA with faithful, high-level expression of the protein products. In addition, infection of mice with VV induces disease with quantifiable morbidity, mortality, and virus replication. The results of intranasal infections of BALB/c mice with these VV recombinants indicate that the Ad 14.7K protein increases the virulence of VV carrying the TNF-alpha gene by reversing the attenuating effect of TNF-alpha on VV pathogenicity. This was demonstrated by increased mortality, pulmonary pathology, and viral titers in lung tissue following infection with VV coexpressing the 14.7K protein and TNF-alpha, compared with the control virus expressing TNF-alpha alone. These results suggest that the 14.7K protein, which is nonessential for Ad replication in tissue culture, is an immunoregulatory protein which functions in vivo to help counteract the antiviral effects of TNF-alpha.

In searching for derivatives of pyrazofurin that could display antiviral properties by means that do not require C-5' phosphorylation, 5'-deoxypyrazofurin (3) has been synthesized in six steps from methyl5-deoxy-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-ribofuranoside (4). Compound 3 was evaluated for antiviral activity against a large number of viruses including herpes-, pox-, myxo-, toga-, arena-, rhabdo-, picorna-,reo-, and retroviruses. Compound 3 proved active against respiratory syncytial virus (in HeLa cells), vaccinia virus (in embryonic skin-muscle fibroblast cells), vesicular stomatitis virus (in HeLa cells), and influenza A virus (in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells) at concentrations (ranging from 4 to 20 micrograms/mL) that were nontoxic to the confluent host cell cultures.

MS-757, a cervix carcinoma cell line, was exposed to bleomycin at concentrations up to 200 microM for periods of 1 to 24 hours. Bleomycin treatment caused the level of DNA synthesis in uninfected cells to drop to 13% of the level achieved in the controls. Protein synthesis fell to 50%, but RNA synthesis was not affected. Exposure of uninfected cells to 200 microM bleomycin for 24 h did not induce significant cell death measured as permeability to Trypan Blue). A tetrazolium dye-reduction assay, however, showed that cell viability measured as mitochondrial activity was reduced by 50%. In contrast, the clonogenicity of the treated cells (measured as colony-forming ability) fell to less than 1% of the level in untreated controls. Bleomycin effected a highly selective inhibition of virus replication measured as production of infectious progeny virus. The replication of the RNA virus, coxsackievirus B5, was largely unaffected by bleomycin, whereas the replication of the DNA virus, herpes simplex virus type 2, was inhibited to the same extent as cellular DNA synthesis. In contrast, bleomycin caused a 2 to 3 log10-fold suppression of the production of progeny virus after infection with the DNA virus, vaccinia virus. When an early gene product (expressed prior to virus DNA replication) of vaccinia virus was assayed, little inhibitory effect of bleomycin could be demonstrated, indicating that the early transcription and translation of vaccinia virus was only modestly influenced by bleomycin. The results argue against a DNA-based replication as the bleomycin-susceptible function independent of genome, replication enzymes, and site of synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mice inoculated intravenously with vaccinia virus (VV) became sick within 6-8 days and died 10-12 days after infection. Tail lesions developed and the number depended on the virus inoculum. Age-matched immunocompetent NMRI mice similarly infected also developed tail lesions but did not become sick. When the infected SCID mice were treated with the acyclic nucleoside phosphonate HPMPC [(S)-1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)cytosine], either for 5 consecutive days starting on the day of infection or for 5 consecutive days starting on day 2, 4, or 6 post infection, or as a single dose at 7 days or 1 day before infection, VV-associated death was significantly delayed. VV-infected SCID mice that received two doses of 20 mg/kg of HPMPC every week survived the infection for about 130 days. The period during which the mice remained disease-free following HPMPC treatment correlated with the absence of detectable virus in their organs. The VV/SCID mouse model employed here may be useful for determining whether (attenuated) recombinant VV (carrying HIV genes) may have detrimental effects in the immunodeficient host. HPMPC may be considered as a drug candidate for the treatment and prophylaxis of such complications.

The role of vaccinia virus nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase I (NPH-I) in determining the resistance of this virus to alpha-interferon (IFN) was analyzed by using a well-defined temperature-sensitive mutant (ts36) in the NPH-I gene. Detailed analysis of viral proteins and mRNAs produced in cultured cells treated with or without IFN-alpha showed a strong inhibition by IFN of the synthesis of late virus polypeptides at the nonpermissive temperature, e.g., 83.8% inhibition for the luciferase reporter gene, which is associated with a decrease in steady-state mRNA levels. Sensitivity of ts36 to IFN was only the consequence of the point mutation in the NPH-1 gene, as shown by characterization of the rescued virus, R36. Our findings demonstrate that functional NPH-1 is required, at least in part, for resistance of vaccinia virus to IFN.

2-, 6-, And 8-alkylated (methyl, ethyl, and vinyl) adenosine analogues were synthesized by a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of a tetraalkyltin with the halogenated purine nucleosides. The synthesis of the 8-substituted analogues was accomplished using a transient protection procedure. The 6-alkylated-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurines as well as 2-ethyladenosine were cytotoxic at relatively low concentrations (0.8-10 micrograms/mL). 8-Methyladenosine was a potent and selective inhibitor of vaccinia virus, whereas 8-ethyl- and 8-vinyladenosine were specifically inhibitory to respiratory syncytial virus. 8-Vinyladenosine displayed particular activity against herpes simplex virus (type 1).

Interferons (IFNs) induce antiviral activity in many cell types. The ability of IFN-gamma to inhibit replication of ectromelia, vaccinia, and herpes simplex-1 viruses in mouse macrophages correlated with the cells' production of nitric oxide (NO). Viral replication was restored in IFN-gamma-treated macrophages exposed to inhibitors of NO synthase. Conversely, epithelial cells with no detectable NO synthesis restricted viral replication when transfected with a complementary DNA encoding inducible NO synthase or treated with organic compounds that generate NO. In mice, an inhibitor of NO synthase converted resolving ectromelia virus infection into fulminant mousepox. Thus, induction of NO synthase can be necessary and sufficient for a substantial antiviral effect of IFN-gamma.

Wild-type rabbitpox virus (RPV) produces red hemorrhagic pocks on the chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) of embryonated chicken eggs. Like the crmA (SPI-2) gene of cowpox virus, disruption of the RPV ps/hr gene results in a mutant which produces white pocks on the CAMs. An examination of the properties of the RPV(ps/hr) mutant in cell culture also reveals a significantly reduced host range, defined as the inability to form plaques, compared with wild-type virus. One of several cell types on which RPV(ps/hr) mutants fail to produce plaques is chicken embryo fibroblasts, cells which have been traditionally used to propagate spontaneously arising white pock mutants isolated from CAMs. The inability of the RPV(ps/hr) mutant to form plaques in chicken embryo fibroblasts correlates with a failure of a low multiplicity of infection to spread to neighboring cells and to form extracellular enveloped virus (EEV), although the formation and yields of infectious intracellular naked virus appear relatively normal. The gene product of the ps/hr gene, initially synthesized as a 45-kDa glycoprotein, is found as a component of EEV, but not intracellular naked virus, and as a smaller, secreted soluble protein of 35 kDa. Production of the secreted 35-kDa protein was found to be independent of any viral morphogenesis, suggesting two distinct pathways for release of the ps/hr gene product from the cell, i.e., as a component of the EEV particle and as a separately secreted glycoprotein.

We have studied the kinetics of RNA synthesis from the vaccinia virus 7,500-molecular-weight gene (7.5K gene) which is regulated by early and late promoters arranged in tandem. Unexpectedly, after a first burst of RNA synthesis early in infection, transcription was reactivated late in infection. Reactivation was not dependent on the location of the promoter in the genome or on the presence of the upstream late regulatory sequences. The mRNA synthesized from the reactivated promoter in the late phase had the same 5' and 3' ends as the molecules transcribed in the early phase. Interestingly, these molecules were efficiently translated despite the absence of the poly(A) leader characteristic of late mRNAs. Reactivation appears to be dependent on virus assembly since it is prevented by rifampin, a specific inhibitor of morphogenesis. Finally, analysis of various other early genes showed that reactivation is not unique to the 7.5K early promoter.

Phenotypic analysis of vaccinia virus temperature-sensitive mutants identified several virus isolates that were either resistant or hypersensitive to rifampicin. Temperature-sensitive mutants 1085, 7743, 1085R, and 7743R were found to be rifampicin resistant (RifR). Each virus contained at least one mutation in ORF D13L which resulted in a change of amino acid sequence. Analysis of each point mutation by marker rescue demonstrated that mutations gly to asp at residue 80, pro to phe at 458, lys to asn at 484, and ile to val at 485 conferred the resistance phenotype, while the mutation changing ser to leu at 176 did not affect the rifampicin phenotype. Temperature-sensitive mutants C6, C17, and C43 were found to be rifampicin hypersensitive. Only C43, however, was found to contain a lesion in ORF D13L. This mutation, ser to asn at 169 was confirmed by marker rescue to confer the hypersensitive phenotype. The results presented here along with those from previous reports show that known mutations conferring rifampicin resistance cluster at the C or N-terminus of D13L while a mutation mapping at residue 169 confers rifampicin hypersensitivity. Further, the finding that the hypersensitive mutants C6 and C17 contain a wild-type D13L ORF suggests a possible role of other viral functions in the interaction of rifampicin with vaccinia virus.

The mechanism by which the 14-kDa fusion protein of vaccinia virus (VV) is anchored in the envelope of intracellular naked virions (INV) is not understood. In this investigation, we demonstrate that the 14-kDa protein interacts with another virus protein with an apparent molecular mass of 21 kDa. Microsequence analysis of the N terminus of the 21-kDa protein revealed that this protein is encoded by the VV A17L gene. The 21-kDa protein is processed from a 23-kDa precursor, by cleavage at amino acid position 16, at the consensus motif Ala-Gly-Ala, previously identified as a cleavage site for several VV structural proteins. The 21-kDa protein contains two large internal hydrophobic domains characteristic of membrane proteins. Pulse-chase analysis showed that within 1 h after synthesis, the 14-kDa protein forms a stable complex with the 21-kDa protein. Formation of the complex was not inhibited by rifampin, indicating that the interaction between these two proteins occurs prior to virion morphogenesis. Immunoprecipitation analysis of disrupted virions showed the presence of the 21-kDa protein in the viral particle. Release of the 14-kDa-21-kDa protein complex from INV required treatment with the nonionic detergent Nonidet P-40 and a reducing agent. The protein complex consisted of 14-kDa trimers and of 21-kDa dimers. Since the 14-kDa fusion protein lacks a signal sequence and a large hydrophobic domain characteristic of membrane proteins, our findings suggest that the 21-kDa protein serves to anchor the 14-kDa protein to the envelope of INV.

Mutations in the vaccinia gene A18R cause activation of the cellular ribonucleolytic 2-5A pathway. To determine the mechanism of 2-5A pathway activation, mutant infections were analyzed for synthesis of double-stranded RNA and for transcription of individual virus genes. At late times postinfection, A18R mutant-infected cells contained an increased amount of complementary RNA and a higher steady state level of RNA from regions of the genome transcribed normally only early in the infection. The phenotype of A18R ts mutants is indistinguishable from that of wild-type infections done in the presence of isatin-beta-thiosemicarbazone (IBT). Actinomycin D is a potent inhibitor of activation of the 2-5A pathway in IBT-treated wt infections. Based on these observations, we conclude that the phenotype induced by A18R mutants or by IBT treatment of wt infections is caused by a loss of control of late viral transcription.

A series of branched-chain sugar isonucleosides was synthesized and evaluated for antiviral activity against herpesviruses. The preparation of homochiral [3S-(3 alpha, 4 beta, 5 alpha)]-2-amino-1, 9-dihydro-9-[tetrahydro-4,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-3-furanyl]-6H-purin-6-one (7, BMS-181,164) and related compounds was stereospecifically achieved starting from 1,2-isopropylidene-D-xylofuranose (10). An efficient two-step reduction of the anomeric center of bis-acetate 18 involved formation of the chloride intermediate 19, followed by diisobutylaluminum hydride reduction. Tosylation of the resulting alcohol 20 provided the key intermediate 21, which was coupled with a variety of nucleobase anions. Several members of this new class of compounds possess activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and -2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Compound 7 exhibits potent and selective activity against thymidine kinase encoding herpesviruses, in particular, HSV-1 and HSV-2. Evaluation of compound 7 for inhibition of WI-38 cell growth indicated an ID50 of > 700 microM. Although the antiherpetic activity in vitro of 7 is less than that of acyclovir (1), compound 7 displays superior efficacy in mouse model infections. The (bromovinyl)uridine analog 8 (BMS-181,165) also exhibits selective activity against HSV-1 and VZV, with no cytostatic effect on WI-38 cell growth at > 800 microM. Compound 8 is active against simian varicella virus and is efficacious in the corresponding monkey model.

This report describes the potentiation of the antiviral effects of human tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in vivo by specific antibodies. Complexes of TNF with either an anti-TNF monoclonal or polyclonal antibody at optimal doses induced a significantly greater antiviral (vaccinia virus) state in CBA/H mice than TNF alone. Furthermore, an antiviral synergy between murine gamma-interferon and TNF was found in vivo when the latter was in complex with enhancing antibody. Two other inbred mouse strains, C57/B6 and BALB/c, were also examined under these conditions. These antibodies greatly increase the binding of TNF to the surface of cells, which may account for the observed enhancement of TNF activity. Such antibodies may be of value clinically in viral diseases and cancer therapy where an increase in TNF activity, in the absence of side effects, would lead to more effective use of this cytokine in human therapy.

The antiviral relevance of soluble mediators that may operate in the vicinity of virus specific effector T cells was investigated. Mice were immunized with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) wild type (wt) and subsequently challenged with a mixture of two vaccinia recombinant viruses, one expressing the nucleoprotein of VSV (vacc-VSV-NP) the other expressing the glycoprotein of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (vacc-LCMV-GP). It was determined whether or not the VSV wt-induced memory T cell response that is protective against vacc-VSV-NP would inhibit growth of the nonrecognized vacc-LCMV-GP. In ovaries and testes replication of vacc-LCMV-GP was not inhibited. In contrast, the T cell response against vacc-VSV-NP nonspecifically inhibited growth of the non-recognized vacc-LCMV-GP in the central nervous system. This inhibiting effect was partly abrogated by treatment with anti-IFN-gamma antiserum but not by an anti-TNF-alpha antiserum. Similar results were obtained in VSV wt-immune H-2b mice, which eliminate vacc-VSV-NP by CD8+ T cells and in H-2k mice, which eliminate vacc-VSV-NP by a CD4+ T cell-dependent mechanism. These data suggest that a protective bystander effect mediated by soluble CD8+ and CD4+ T cell-dependent factors may be demonstrated against vaccinia virus only in an organ such as the central nervous system in which the blood-brain barrier inhibits diffusion and draining of the soluble antiviral factors released by specific effector T cells.

Kidney cell lines MA104 and BGM were infected with vaccinia and measles viruses respectively in the presence of 45Ca. Increased 45Ca level was detected in the virally infected cells as compared with control cells. An enhancement of 28 +/- 6% and 37 +/- 13% was shown in vaccinia and measles respectively following 5 h of infection. The effect of the calcium antagonist verapamil was studied in both vaccinia- and measles-infected cells. In one-step growth experiments, the mean inhibitory effect of 90 microM verapamil on viral yield after 13 h was 97 +/- 1% in the case of vaccinia. In the measles virus after 47 h a mean of 76 +/- 5% inhibition was detected. The suitability of verapamil as a potential antiviral agent is suggested and requires further investigation.

The selective inhibition of host-cell protein synthesis was studied in cells infected with vaccinia virus (VV) under aberrant conditions of transcription. Previous studies in our laboratory have correlated this selective inhibition with a class of short polyadenylated virus-directed RNAs (POLADS) which are synthesized in VV-infected cells during the early phase of transcription. Moreover, it was shown that infection of HeLa cells with UV-irradiated VV or infection in the presence of actinomycin D (ACD) amplifies the synthesis of POLADS compared to the amount produced in cells infected under normal conditions. To further study the role of POLADS in shut-off, we utilized a temperature sensitive mutant of VV which induces only marginal host shut-off at the restrictive temperature. POLADS were isolated from cells infected with either unirradiated or UV-irradiated VV ts mutant at the permissive and restrictive temperatures and their inhibitory activity on translation in vitro was assayed. The study yields further evidence associating excess of POLADS with greater inhibitory potential and supports the speculation that the increased production of POLADS is correlated with the inhibition of translation of both host-cell and viral polypeptides, albeit to different degrees. The results also demonstrate that a lack of POLADS accumulation is related to a corresponding reduction of shut-off.

A series of new S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) analogues with modifications to amino acid and nucleoside moieties was prepared via condensation of appropriate nucleoside precursors and suitably protected L-homocystine derivatives. The AdoHcy derivatives as well as the nucleoside precursors were evaluated for their antiviral activity. Some of the compounds, in particular S-tubercidinyl-L-homocysteine propyl ester (36), N-(trifluoroacetyl)-S-tubercidinyl-L-homocysteine isopropyl ester (27), S-3'-deoxytubercidinyl-L-homocysteine (58), N-(trifluoracetyl)-S-tubercidinyl-L-homocysteine propyl ester (26), and N-(methoxyacetyl)-S-tubercidinyl-L-homocysteine ethyl ester (31) showed potent and selective activity against HSV, VV, and VSV. It is likely that they exert their antiviral effect via selective inhibition of the methyltransferases which are required for the maturation of viral mRNAs.

Starting from 3-O-mesyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-allofuranose (9) the anomeric mixtures of the requisite carbohydrates 1,2-di-O-acetyl-6-O-benzoyl-5-deoxy-3-O-mesyl-D-allofuranoses++ + 17A alpha/beta, 1,2-di-O-acetyl-5,6-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-mesyl-D-allofuranoses 17B alpha/beta, and 1,2-di-O-acetyl-5,6-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-mesyl-L-talofuranoses 17C alpha/beta were synthesized. 1,2-Di-O-acetyl-5-O-benzoyl-6-deoxy-3-O-mesyl-D-allofuranoses++ + 17D alpha/beta and the corresponding L-talofuranoses 17E alpha/beta were obtained from 6-deoxy-3,5-di-O-benzoyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D- allofuranose (12) and the corresponding beta-L-talofuranose 13. Coupling of these sugar derivatives with thymine gave the beta-nucleoside derivatives 18A-E. Treatment of compounds 18A-E with DBU produced the corresponding 2,3'-anhydro nucleosides 19A-E with a free 2'-OH group. After deoxygenation of 2'-O-[[(4-methylphenyl)oxy]thiocarbonyl] compounds 20A-E with tributyltin hydride the 2,3'-anhydro bridge of the 2'-deoxynucleosides 21A-E was opened with LiN3 to produce the protected 3'-azido-2,3'-dideoxynucleoside derivatives 22A-G. Saponification with NaOCH3 gave 1-(3'-azido-2',3',5'-trideoxy-beta-D-allofuranosyl)thymine (2; homo-AZT), the 5'-C-(hydroxymethyl) derivatives of AZT 1-(3'-azido-2',3'- dideoxy-beta-D-allofuranosyl)thymine (3) and 1-(3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxy-alpha-L-talofuranosyl)thymine (4), and the 5'-C-methyl derivatives of AZT 1-(3'-azido-2',3',6'-trideoxy-beta-D-allofuranosyl)thymine (5) and 1-(3'-azido-2',3',6'-trideoxy-alpha-L-talofuranosyl)thymine (6). Compounds 2-6 were evaluated for their inhibitory effect on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) replication in MT-4 cells and found inactive at subtoxic concentrations. Compounds 2-4 and 6 are not effective against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2), vaccinia virus (VV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) at 400 micrograms/mL. 5 is slightly active against HSV-1, HSV-2 and VV at 150, 300, and 300 micrograms/mL, respectively.

Beginning with 3-cyclopenten-1-ylamine hydrochloride, the 5'-nor derivatives of carbocyclic 2'-deoxyguanosine (2), 2'-deoxyadenosine (3), and 2,6-diaminopurine 2'-deoxyribofuranoside (4) have been prepared. These compounds were evaluated for antiviral potential versus herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and human immunodeficiency virus and found to lack activity. Also, compounds 2-4 were virtually nontoxic toward the host (human diploid fibroblast ESM and HEL) cells. These biological properties may be due to the inability of 2-4 to be phosphorylated to the requisite nucleotide level that is likely to be necessary for biological activity by correlation to carbocyclic 2'-deoxyguanosine (1), which possesses significant antiviral properties as a result of conversion to its 5'-triphosphate derivative.

The effect of the beta-lactone antibiotic diffusomycin (oxazolomycin) was investigated against vaccinia (Lister), herpes simplex type 1 (Kupka), influenza A (WSN; H1N1), and Coxsackie A9 viruses. Diffusomycin reduced significantly the plaque formation of enveloped DNA and RNA viruses by more than 90% in the range of the maximally tolerated dose. As could be shown with vaccinia virus, the antiviral action was not caused by virucidal effect on virions or by interaction with virus adsorption and penetration. In one-step growth cycle assays diffusomycin prevented the replication of herpes simplex type 1, vaccinia and influenza A viruses in a dose-dependent manner. The replication of influenza A viruses was blocked immediately after addition of the compound during zero to six hr p.i. Partial reversibility of the antiviral action was established by washing off the antibiotic from chicken embryo cells (CEC) infected with influenza A virus. Finally, replication of Coxsackie A9 virus was not inhibited by diffusomycin. Electron-optical studies revealed a reduced synthesis of HSV-1 nucleocapsids in dependence on the concentration of the compound.

In the laboratory assay of chemothermal virus disinfection procedures a test system is required which allows to differentiate between the physical effects of the temperature and the chemical effects by the disinfectant used. From the four test viruses recommended by the German Association for the Control of Virus Diseases (Deutsche Vereinigung zur Bekämpfung der Viruskrankheiten) only SV 40 tumor virus showed a sufficient thermal stability at 55 degrees C to take it in consideration as test virus for chemothermal disinfection procedures. Bacteriophage Phi x 174 and lactococci phages P001, P008 and P109 are suggested for the evaluation of chemothermal disinfection procedures in food processing industries because of their thermal stability at 55 degrees C, for short exposition times even at 60 degrees C. For procedures which work at 60 degrees C, e.g. laundry disinfection, especially bovine parvovirus can be recommended as test virus. In case of a binary product consisting of two different compounds for mechanically cleaning and disinfection of surgical instruments we were able to evaluate the virucidal effectivity at 55 degrees C for both parts separately. Generally our results showed that products with insufficient virucidal activity against naked viruses even at 60 degrees C may not be assumed as sure virucidal disinfectants.

1. It is known that vaccinia core proteins are released into the supernatant fraction when cores are incubated under appropriate conditions. When prepared in the absence of viral transcription this fraction inhibits in vitro protein synthesis. 2. We show here that after incubation, the cores loose the capability to inhibit protein synthesis. Furthermore, we show that no inhibition of translation is observed with supernatant fractions prepared from transcribing cores. 3. SDS-PAGE analysis of the supernatant fraction of cores obtained in the presence and absence of viral transcription indicated that their protein composition is similar and that approximately 17 peptides are released from the cores and that 4 are phosphorylated. 4. We conclude that the proteins associated with vaccinia cores and released in the presence of ribonucleotides are not involved in protein synthesis inhibition.

The mutation in a vaccinia virus mutant resistant to inhibition by isatin-beta-thiosemicarbazone was mapped by marker rescue. DNA from the resistant mutant was cloned into cosmid and plasmid vectors and tested for its ability to convert wild-type vaccinia virus to IBT resistant virus in a helper-mediated marker rescue protocol. Resistance was mapped in this way to a 0.9-kb DNA fragment derived from the HindIII A fragment of vaccinia genome. Southern blot hybridization using this DNA as a probe demonstrated that the 0.9-kb fragment is contained within the DNA sequence encoding the second largest subunit of vaccinia RNA polymerase, rpo132. Thus, mutation of rpo132 can cause resistance to IBT in vaccinia virus.

The functional compatibility of vaccinia virus DNA ligase with eukaryotic counterparts was demonstrated by its ability to complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae cdc9. The vaccinia DNA ligase is a 63 kDa protein expressed early during infection that is non-essential for virus DNA replication and recombination in cultured cells. This implies complementation by a mammalian DNA ligase, yet no obvious recruitment of host DNA ligase I from the nucleus to the cytoplasm was observed during infection. An antiserum raised against a peptide conserved in eukaryotic DNA ligases identified the virus enzyme in discrete cytoplasmic 'factories', the sites of virus DNA synthesis, demonstrating immunological cross-reactivity between host DNA ligase I and the vaccinia enzyme. DNA ligase was not detected in the factories of a mutant virus lacking the ligase gene. Despite this, no difference in growth between wild-type (WT) and mutant virus was detectable even in Bloom's syndrome cells which have reduced DNA ligase I activity. However, DNA ligase negative virus showed an increased sensitivity to UV or bleomycin in cultured cells, and the importance of DNA ligase for virus virulence in vivo was demonstrated by the attenuated phenotype of the deletion mutant in intranasally infected mice.

Hygromycin B (Hy), an inhibitor of RNA translation, was shown to block the replication of vaccinia virus (VV) in cultured cell lines. Insertion of the Escherichia coli Hy resistance-encoding gene (hph) into the VV genome under control of early or late synthetic VV promoters could overcome inhibition of viral replication. When hph was inserted into VV in tandem with the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) L1 open reading frame, hph recombinant viruses could be selected which expressed HPV16 L1.

The protein kinase C inhibitor H-7 (2-20 microM) inhibited dose-dependently the infectivity of the vesicular stomatitis virus on cultured human fibroblasts. Electron microscopy showed that H-7 inhibited the viral entry. H-7 also inhibited the infectivity of four other enveloped viruses, herpes simplex I, turkey herpes, vaccinia and Sindbis. Similar results were obtained using staurosporine (2.5 nM), tamoxifen (40 microM), phloretin (140 microM), or W-7 (40 microM). However, the infectivity of non-enveloped viruses (e.g. poliomyelitis I) was not inhibited by H-7. These results show that protein kinase C is critically involved in the infectivity of enveloped viruses, most probably at the level of viral entry (receptor-mediated endocytosis).

The reaction of 2'-deoxy-5-trimethylsilyl(Tms)uridine with methanesulfonyl chloride led to the corresponding 3',5'-di-O-mesyl derivative, which was treated with lithium toluylate in DMF to give 2,3'-anhydro-1-(2-deoxy-5-O-p-toluyl-beta-D-xylofurano- syl)-5-Tms-uracil. Under these conditions 1-(2,3-dideoxy-5-O-p-toluyl-alpha-D- glycero-pent-2-enofuranosyl)-5-Tms-uracil was obtained from 1-(2-deoxy-alpha-D-ribofuranosyl)-5-Tms-uracil. Interaction of 2,3'-anhydronucleoside with LiN3 in DMF and successive deacylation with MeONa-MeOH gave 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxy-5-Tms-uridine. Hydrogenation of this compound with 10% Pd/C in ethanol gave 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxy-5-Tms-uridine. From 2,4,5-tris-Tms-uracil and 2,3-didehydrofurane in 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of SnCl4 1-(2-tetrahydrofuranyl)-5-Tms-uracil was prepared. In a similar way 1-[(1,3-dioxy-2-propoxy)methyl]-5-Tms-uracil was synthesized by condensation of silylated uracil with 1,3-dibenzyloxy-2-acetoxymethylglycerol followed by the hydrogen transfer hydrogenolysis with cyclohexene--20% Pd(OH)2/C. None of the compounds exhibits cytotoxic activity against CaOv in vitro. The acycloderivative in concentration of 250 micrograms/ml has no effect on the HSV-1 and vaccinia virus replication in vitro. 3'-Azidonucleoside in dose of 100-750 mg/kg as well as 1-(2-tetrahydrofuranyl)-5-Tms-uracil in dose of 160-800 mg/kg were devoid of antitumour activity against P388 in vivo.

Anthraquinones and anthraquinone derivatives were characterized for their antiviral and virucidal activities against viruses representing several taxonomic groups. One of these compounds, hypericin, had activity against vesicular stomatitis virus, herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, parainfluenza virus, and vaccinia virus (from 0.5 to 3.8 log10 reductions in infectivity) at concentrations of less than 1 microgram/ml as determined by a direct pre-infection incubation assay. Human rhinovirus was not sensitive to hypericin at concentrations up to 10 micrograms/ml. Addition of small amounts of Tween-80 to solutions containing hypericin enhanced, by up to 2.6 log10, hypericin's virucidal activity. Anthraquinones and anthraquinone derivatives with the hydroxyl and alkyl substitution pattern of emodin (i.e. emodin, emodin anthrone, emodin bianthrone and hypericin) were active against the enveloped viruses tested. The following general pattern of activity was found: hypericin greater than emodin bianthrone greater than emodin anthrone greater than emodin. Chrysophanic acid, aloe-emodin, and sennosides A and B did not possess activity against any of the viruses tested.

The survival curves for bacteriophage lambda and vaccinia virus were shown theoretically and in experiments to have a plateau at prolonged inactivation by UV-irradiation or 8-methoxypsoralen. The level of the plateau is dependent of the accuracy of the repair process. The method for extrapolation of the survival curves is proposed.

Hydroxyurea, an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase, blocks replication of vaccinia virus. However, when medium containing hydroxyurea and dialyzed serum was supplemented with deoxyadenosine, the block to viral reproduction was circumvented, provided that an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase was also present. Deoxyguanosine, deoxycytidine, and deoxythymidine were ineffective alone and did not augment the deoxyadenosine effect. In fact, increasing concentrations of deoxyguanosine and deoxythymidine, but not deoxycytidine, eliminated the deoxyadenosine rescue, an effect that was reversed by the addition of low concentrations of deoxycytidine. These results suggested that the inhibition of viral replication by hydroxyurea was primarily due to a deficiency of dATP. Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools in vaccinia virus-infected cells were measured at the height of viral DNA synthesis after a synchronous infection. With 0.5 mM hydroxyurea, the dATP pool was greater than 90% depleted, the dCTP and dGTP pools were 40 to 50% reduced, and the dTTP pool was increased. Assay of ribonucleotide reductase activity in intact virus-infected cells suggested that hydroxyurea may differentially affect reduction of the various substrates of the enzyme.

The locus responsible for encoding resistance to alpha-amanitin was previously mapped to the vaccinia virus (VV) HindIII N fragment by using cloned wild-type VV DNA fragments to rescue the ability of an alpha-amanitin-resistant/temperature-sensitive VV mutant (alpha rts7) to replicate under nonpermissive conditions. DNA sequencing and transcriptional analyses of this region identified two leftward-reading open reading frames (ORFs), N2L and M1L, as candidates to encode the protein responsible for eliciting both phenotypes. In the present study, high-resolution marker rescue mapping and genomic sequencing techniques have been applied to identify the nature of the mutation within the HindIII N region of the alpha rts7 genome. Interestingly, a single G to T transversion mutation was noted at position -10 relative to the initiator ATG of the N2L ORF. Since transcription of the N2L gene starts at position -12/-13, this places the alpha rts7 mutation within the 5'-untranslated leader of the N2L transcript expressed early in infection and suggests that the transcriptional efficiency, mRNA stability, or translational efficiency must be altered in the mutant RNA. These results identify the N2L ORF as the gene responsible for conferring resistance to alpha-amanitin in the alpha rts7 mutant and suggest that the N2L gene product is the viral function that interacts with the host cell nucleus during VV infection.

A series of novel compounds, 5-alkynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4- carboxamides, have been identified as broad-spectrum antiviral agents. 5-Ethynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4- carboxamide (EICAR), the most potent congener of the group, showed antiviral potency about 10- to 100-fold greater than that of ribavirin. Similar in spectrum to ribavirin, EICAR was particularly active (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.2 to 4 micrograms/ml) against poxviruses (vaccinia virus), togaviruses (Sindbis and Semliki forest viruses), arenaviruses (Junin and Tacaribe viruses), reoviruses (reovirus type 1), orthomyxoviruses (influenza A and B viruses), and paramyxoviruses (parainfluenza virus type 3, measles virus, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis virus, and respiratory syncytial virus). EICAR was also cytostatic for rapidly growing cells (50% inhibitory concentration, 0.2 to 0.9 microgram/ml). EICAR inhibited vaccinia virus tail lesion formation at doses that were not toxic to the host. EICAR is a candidate antiviral drug for the treatment of pox-, toga-, arena-, reo-, orthomyxo, and paramyxovirus infections.

Processing of HIV and SIV envelope oligosaccharides is critical for proper intracellular trafficking and function. An inhibitor of alpha-glucosidases I and II, N-butyl deoxynojirimycin (N-BuDNJ), retards HIV-1 and SIVmac spread in lymphocytes and monocytes by diminishing virus infectivity, and also causes a reduction in syncytia formation between infected cells and uninfected lymphocytes. N-BuDNJ retards envelope processing from the precursor form to the mature surface (SU) and transmembrane proteins in HIV-1- and SIVmac-infected cells, as well as in cells infected with vaccinia-HIV-1 envelope recombinant virus. However, no significant reduction is seen in the amount of SU in released virus particles, though the virus particle-associated SU from N-BuDNJ-treated cells has an altered electrophoretic mobility. In contrast, N-BuDNJ had no effect on GAG protein synthesis and processing. These findings demonstrate a critical requirement for oligosaccharide processing by alpha-glucosidases I and II for HIV-1 and SIVmac envelope processing and fusogenicity.

Regulatory elements of the Escherichia coli lac operon were used to construct an inducer-dependent conditional-lethal mutant animal virus. The gene encoding the repressor protein of the lac operon was integrated into the vaccinia virus genome so that it was expressed constitutively, and the lac operator was inserted next to the promoter of a gene that encodes an 11-kDa virion-associated protein of unknown function. The addition of inducer to the cell culture medium provided permissive conditions for isolation of a conditional-lethal mutant virus. Under nonpermissive conditions, the isolated virus did not form plaques, and the yield was decreased by at least 1000-fold under one-step growth conditions. Transcription of the operator-controlled gene was inducer-dependent and necessary for synthesis of the 11-kDa protein. Application of this mutagenesis strategy to other viruses is discussed.

We determined that 85 microM aphidicolin was sufficient to block macroscopic plaque formation by vaccinia virus and to cause a 10(4)-fold reduction in viral yield from a wild-type infection. A chemically mutagenized viral stock was passaged sequentially in the presence of drug, and plaque-purified viral stocks resistant to aphidicolin were isolated and characterized. By use of a marker rescue protocol, the lesion in each mutant was found to map within the same 500-bp fragment within the DNA polymerase gene. All of the mutants were found to contain a single nucleotide change in the same codon. In nine of these mutants, the alanine residue at position 498 was changed to a threonine, whereas a 10th mutant sustained a valine substitution at this position. Congenic viral strains which carried the Aphr lesion in an unmutagenized wild-type background were isolated. The Thr and Val mutations were found to confer equivalent levels of drug resistance. In the presence of drug, viral yields were 25% of control levels, and the levels of viral DNA synthesized were 30 to 50% of those seen in control infections. The two mutations also conferred an equivalent hypersensitivity to the cytosine analog 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC); strains carrying the Thr mutation were moderately hypersensitive to the pyrophosphate analog phosphonoacetic acid and the adenosine analog araA, whereas the Val mutation conferred acute hypersensitivity to these inhibitors. The Val mutation also conferred a mutator phenotype, leading to a 20- to 40-fold increase in the frequency of spontaneous mutations within the viral stock.

The duck histone H5 and human H1 zero were inserted into the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of vaccinia virus and the interferon sensitivity of their expression under the control of the viral TK and P7.5 promoters in chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF) was compared to the interferon sensitivity of vaccinia virus WR specific TK induction. Expression and transport of these histones to the nucleus in CEF infected with the appropriate vaccinia virus recombinants could be detected with antisera raised against chick histone H5. In CEF cultivated for 3 days, interferon treatment that completely inhibited TK synthesis had no or only a marginal inhibitory effect on the expression of the histone genes. Inhibition of the expression of the histones could be detected under conditions of increased interferon sensitivity in aged CEF. The magnitude of inhibition was, however, less pronounced than the inhibition of viral TK synthesis. These data indicate that flanking vaccinia virus DNA regions confer interferon sensitivity to the expression of these histone genes, but that they contain structural information that partially exempts their expression from the inhibitory activity of the interferon-induced regulatory system.

Inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), BW755c, and nordihydroguaiaretic acid were found to specifically interfere with the replication of cowpox virus (an orthopoxvirus) both in vivo and in vitro. Further studies in vitro showed that the drugs ETYA and BW755c were effective in inhibiting the replication of two additional orthopoxviruses, ectromelia and vaccinia viruses, but not human parainfluenza virus-3. In ETYA-treated and cowpox virus-infected cells, early and late gene expression were near normal levels, whereas the assembly of virus-specific membranes was severely reduced. These results are compatible with a model of orthopoxvirus replication that has an obligate requirement for arachidonic acid or one of its metabolic forms, possibly in the assembly of virus-specific membranes.

Homologous recombination was measured in vaccinia-infected cells cotransfected with two plasmid recombination substrates. One plasmid contains a vaccinia protein lacZ coding region bearing a 1.1 kb 3' terminal deletion while the other plasmid contains a non-promoted lacZ coding region bearing a 1.1 kb 5' terminal deletion. Homologous recombination occurring between the 825 bp of lacZ common to both plasmids regenerates a functional lacZ gene from which B-galactosidase expression was measured. The entire 3 kb lacZ gene was used as a positive control. A panel of thermosensitive mutants was screened in cells either transfected with the positive control plasmid or cotransfected with the recombination substrates. A DNA - mutant, ts42, known to map to the viral DNA polymerase gene was found to be defective in recombination. Significantly, other DNA - mutants, ts17 or ts25, or other DNA polymerase mutants did not exhibit a defect in recombination similar to ts42. Inhibitors of viral DNA synthesis did not uniformly affect recombination. Cytosine arabinoside and aphidicolin inhibited B-galactosidase expression from the recombination substrates but not from the positive control plasmid, whereas hydroxyurea enhanced expression from both. Marker rescue with the cloned wildtype DNA polymerase gene repaired the defect in ts42. Southern and western analyses demonstrated that B-galactosidase activity was consistent with a recombined lacZ gene and unit size 116 kDa protein. Measurement of plasmid and viral DNA replication in cells infected with the different DNA - mutants indicated that recombination was independent of plasmid and viral DNA replication. Together these results suggest that the vaccinia DNA polymerase participates in homologous recombination at a level other than that of DNA replication.

S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase has been recognized as the target enzyme for the antiviral activity of several carbocyclic and acyclic adenosine analogues. In a previous study [Cools M and De Clercq E, Biochem Pharmacol 38: 1061-1067, 1989], we found a close correlation between the antiviral activity of six adenosine analogues [S)-9-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)adenine [(S)-DHPA], (RS)-3-adenin-9-yl-2-hydroxypropanoic acid [(RS)-AHPA] (isobutyl ester), 3-deazaneplanocin A, carbocyclic 3-deazaadenosine (C-c3 Ado), adenosine dialdehyde and neplanocin A) against vaccinia virus and vesicular stomatitis virus and the inhibitory effect of these compounds on purified AdoHcy hydrolase isolated from murine L929 cells. We have now examined the effects of the different adenosine analogues on the intracellular pool levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) and S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet). Treatment of vaccinia virus-infected L929 cells for 24 hr with the adenosine analogues at a dose that reduced vaccinia virus growth by 90% (ID90) increased the average AdoHcy pool levels from 0.027 nmol/mg protein to approximately 0.3 nmol/mg protein and the AdoHcy/AdoMet ratio from 0.038 to approximately 0.3. Moreover, the AdoHcy/AdoMet ratio correlated closely with the vaccinia virus yield reduction, both determined over the 24-hr post infection period (correlation coefficient of 0.972). These findings indicate that the activity of the AdoHcy hydrolase inhibitors against vaccinia virus may be related to the raise in intracellular AdoHcy pool levels and AdoHcy/AdoMet ratio.

Athymic nude mice recover from an infection with recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) encoding murine interleukin 2 (IL-2), but treatment with a mAb to IL-2 accentuated infection. Administration of a mAb against interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) to mice infected with the IL-2-encoding virus completely prevented the IL-2-induced mechanisms of recovery. Both asialo-GM1+ (NK) and asialo-GM1- (non-NK) cells were participants in the IFN-gamma-mediated recovery of nude mice from infection with the IL-2-encoding VV recombinant. Depletion of asialo-GM1+ cells exacerbated infection, though not as much as anti-IFN-gamma mAb. In vitro, both asialo-GM1+ and asialo-GM1- nude mouse splenocytes produced IFN-gamma in response to IL-2.

Adult female mice were administered 17 beta-oestradiol at pharmacological dosages by subcutaneous injections. Histopathological examination revealed an increase in cells of the mononuclear lineage infiltrating the sinusoids of the liver. In vitro culture of Kupffer cells demonstrated that the treatment did not alter their antiviral properties but did rather induce an activation of their non-specific immune properties. This activation might be beneficial or deleterious for the infected host and must be discussed in each particular pathological process.

The protein and glycoprotein composition of a sucrose gradient fraction from vaccinia infected cells treated with rifampicin was studied. This particulate fraction contained cytoplasmic membranes and pleomorphic membranous structures. The glycoproteins (89, 42 and 20-23 kDa, respectively) were identified as the same glycoproteins that are found in plasma membranes of infected cells and the envelope of extracellular enveloped vaccinia (EEV). These glycoproteins could be solubilized by 0.1% NP-40. The Golgi membrane associated 41K acylated vaccinia protein was also NP-40 soluble. In contrast, most particulate fraction proteins (125, 100, 86, 65, 41, 39, 31, 27, 25, 14 and 12.5 kDa) with the exception of the 33 and 29 kDa proteins remained essentially insoluble after NP-40 treatment. The 86 and 65 kDa proteins are the rifampicin inhibited precursors to INV core proteins while the 33 and 29 kDa proteins are INV surface proteins. Twelve proteins behaved like their respective comigrating INV proteins when extracted with NP-40 and 2ME. Electron microscopy showed that a centrifuged sediment from NP-40 treated cells contained pleomorphic protein containing membranous structures that we have called rifampicin bodies. We conclude that (1) the major glycoproteins found in the particulate fraction from sucrose gradients are vaccinia glycoproteins residing in cytoplasmic membranes while (2) the major non-glycosylated proteins are components of the rifampicin bodies and that (3) the rifampicin bodies represent an intermediate in the morphogenetic process leading to mature INV.

Seventeen nucleoside derivatives (derived from arabinosylcytosine, resp. cytidine, 5-fluorouracil and uracil) were tested by agar-diffusion plaque-inhibition test for their antiviral activity with herpes simplex, vaccinia, fowl plague, Newcastle disease and western equine encephalomyelitis viruses. The highest antiviral activity against DNA viruses exhibited arabinosylcytosine, N4-acylarabinosylcytosines, arabinosylthiouracil, cyclocytidine and its 5'-chloroderivative. RNA viruses were inhibited by 5-fluorouridine only, whereas other tested compounds were ineffective or showing marginal activity only. By search for relationship between chemical structure and antiviral activity a tendency was found of higher antiviral activity at lower lipophilicity. This is probably due to better transport of the studied compounds into cell. The chemical structure, however, is the main reason of antiviral activity.