Use of recombinant retroviruses to characterize the activity of antiretroviral compounds.
This report describes the use of a recombinant murine retrovirus encoding beta-galactosidase (PLJ beta-gal retrovirus) to study the antiretroviral activity of zidovudine (AZT) and other nucleoside analogs. The PLJ beta-gal virus permits the rapid and unequivocal identification of individual virus-infected cells arising from a single cycle of viral replication. With this model system, AZT is shown to completely and irreversibly prevent retrovirus infection of proliferating cell lines as measured by a lack of reporter gene expression. On the other hand, AZT is less effective in protecting growth-arrested cells from retroviral infection. Recombinant retroviruses such as the PLJ beta-gal virus are potentially useful reagents for the identification and characterization of antiretroviral compounds.
Section of Medical Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
R K
RK
Stair
C J
CJ
Nelson
J W
JW
Mellors
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D009705:Nucleosides; D015215:Zidovudine; D001616:beta-Galactosidase