title: Deoxyadenosine reverses hydroxyurea inhibition of vaccinia virus growth.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-6503.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Slabaugh
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Mathews
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D058892:Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003839:Deoxyadenosines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013936:Thymidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D058892:Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D003839:Deoxyadenosines; D003841:Deoxycytidine; C010192:9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; D003849:Deoxyguanosine; D000225:Adenine; D013936:Thymidine; D006918:Hydroxyurea