Novel nonnucleoside inhibitors that select nucleoside inhibitor resistance mutations in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase.
Mutations in and around the catalytic site of the reverse transcriptase (RT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are associated with resistance to nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs), whereas changes in the hydrophobic pocket of the RT are attributed to nonnucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance. In this study, we report a novel series of nonnucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1, exemplified by VRX-329747 and VRX-413638, which inhibit both NNRTI- and NRTI-resistant HIV-1 isolates. Enzymatic studies indicated that these compounds are HIV-1 RT inhibitors. Surprisingly, however, following prolonged (6 months) tissue culture selection, this series of nonnucleoside inhibitors did not select NNRTI-resistant mutations in HIV-1 RT. Rather, four mutations (M41L, A62T/V, V118I, and M184V) known to cause resistance to NRTIs and two additional novel mutations (S68N and G112S) adjacent to the catalytic site of the enzyme were selected. Although the M184V mutation appears to be the initial mutation to establish resistance, this mutation alone confers only a two- to fourfold decrease in susceptibility to VRX-329747 and VRX-413638. At least two additional mutations must accumulate for significant resistance. Moreover, while VRX-329747-selected viruses are resistant to lamivudine and emtricitabine due to the M184V mutation, they remain susceptible to zidovudine, stavudine, dideoxyinosine, abacavir, tenofovir, and efavirenz. These results directly demonstrate that VRX-329747 and VRX-413638 are novel nonnucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 RT with the potential to augment current therapies.
Zhang
Zhijun
Z
Drug Discovery, Valeant Research & Development, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA. zzhang@valeant.com
Walker
Michelle
M
Xu
Wen
W
Shim
Jae Hoon
JH
Girardet
Jean-Luc
JL
Hamatake
Robert K
RK
Hong
Zhi
Z
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase