Differential effects of 5-methylmercapto-2'-deoxyuridine on the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 in two cell systems.
5-Methylmercapto-2'-deoxyuridine (MeMUdR), a structural analogue of thymidine (TdR), inhibits herpes simplex virus type 1 production in mouse L (Lb) cells at concentrations that are not inhibitory to viral growth in monkey kidney (CV-1) cells. It is moderately toxic to Lb cells but not to CV-1 cells at a concentration that causes 95% inhibition of viral replication in Lb cells. MeMUdR is incorporated into cellular and viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in both systems, but to a significantly higher level (compared with thymidine) in Lb cells. These results indicate that MeMUdR is a substrate for enzymes leading to DNA synthesis and suggest that the biological function of herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA is impaired only when the incorporation of MeMUdR into the DNA reaches a relatively high level.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D000882:Haplorhini; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D004247:DNA