Biomaterial Database

Significance of resistance of herpes simplex virus to acyclovir. 1988

C S Crumpacker

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

The genome of herpes simplex virus codes for several enzymes, including viral thymidine kinase and viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase. When viral resistance develops, it does so by changes in these two enzymes. Three possible mechanisms of viral resistance to acyclovir include (1) selection of viral mutants that make little or no thymidine kinase and do not phosphorylate acyclovir adequately, (2) selection of mutants that can phosphorylate thymidine but cannot phosphorylate acyclovir (i.e., these viruses have thymidine kinases with altered substrate specificity), and (3) selection of viruses that have altered DNA polymerases that replicate viral DNA in the presence of acyclovir triphosphate. Thymidine kinase-deficient virus has been isolated from clinical isolates frequently, but few strains appear to be virulent for animals or humans and only a few seem to have caused clinical disease. Viruses with altered substrate specificity have been reported but viruses with an altered DNA polymerase have not occurred in clinical practice. Antiviral drugs should be used only when necessary to minimize the appearance of resistant strains of virus.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D004259	DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase	DNA-dependent DNA polymerases found in bacteria, animal and plant cells. During the replication process, these enzymes catalyze the addition of deoxyribonucleotide residues to the end of a DNA strand in the presence of DNA as template-primer. They also possess exonuclease activity and therefore function in DNA repair.	DNA Polymerase,DNA Polymerases,DNA-Dependent DNA Polymerases,DNA Polymerase N3,DNA Dependent DNA Polymerases,DNA Directed DNA Polymerase,DNA Polymerase, DNA-Directed,DNA Polymerases, DNA-Dependent,Polymerase N3, DNA,Polymerase, DNA,Polymerase, DNA-Directed DNA,Polymerases, DNA,Polymerases, DNA-Dependent DNA
D004352	Drug Resistance, Microbial	The ability of microorganisms, especially bacteria, to resist or to become tolerant to chemotherapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents, or antibiotics. This resistance may be acquired through gene mutation or foreign DNA in transmissible plasmids (R FACTORS).	Antibiotic Resistance,Antibiotic Resistance, Microbial,Antimicrobial Resistance, Drug,Antimicrobial Drug Resistance,Antimicrobial Drug Resistances,Antimicrobial Resistances, Drug,Drug Antimicrobial Resistance,Drug Antimicrobial Resistances,Drug Resistances, Microbial,Resistance, Antibiotic,Resistance, Drug Antimicrobial,Resistances, Drug Antimicrobial
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000212	Acyclovir	A GUANOSINE analog that acts as an antimetabolite. Viruses are especially susceptible. Used especially against herpes.	Acycloguanosine,9-((2-Hydroxyethoxy)methyl)guanine,Aci-Sanorania,Acic,Aciclobeta,Aciclostad,Aciclovir,Aciclovir Alonga,Aciclovir-Sanorania,Acifur,Acipen Solutab,Acivir,Activir,Acyclo-V,Acyclovir Sodium,Antiherpes Creme,Avirax,Cicloferon,Clonorax,Cusiviral,Genvir,Herpetad,Herpofug,Herpotern,Herpoviric,Isavir,Laciken,Mapox,Maynar,Milavir,Opthavir,Supraviran,Viclovir,Vipral,Virax-Puren,Virherpes,Virmen,Virolex,Virupos,Virzin,Wellcome-248U,Zoliparin,Zovirax,Zyclir,aciclovir von ct,Aci Sanorania,Aciclovir Sanorania,Acyclo V,Alonga, Aciclovir,Sodium, Acyclovir,Solutab, Acipen,Virax Puren,ViraxPuren,Wellcome 248U,Wellcome248U
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013937	Thymidine Kinase	An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of ATP and thymidine to ADP and thymidine 5'-phosphate. Deoxyuridine can also act as an acceptor and dGTP as a donor. (From Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992) EC 2.7.1.21.	Deoxythymidine Kinase,Deoxypyrimidine Kinase,Kinase, Deoxypyrimidine,Kinase, Deoxythymidine,Kinase, Thymidine
D018139	Simplexvirus	A genus of the family HERPESVIRIDAE, subfamily ALPHAHERPESVIRINAE, consisting of herpes simplex-like viruses. The type species is HERPESVIRUS 1, HUMAN.	Herpes Simplex Virus,Herpesvirus 1, Saimiriine,Herpesvirus 1, Saimirine,Herpesvirus 16, Cercopithecine,Marmoset Virus,Cercopithecine Herpesvirus 16,Herpes Labialis Virus,Herpes-T Virus,Herpesvirus 1 (alpha), Saimirine,Herpesvirus Hominis,Herpesvirus Papio 2,Herpesvirus Platyrhinae,Marmoset Herpesvirus,Saimiriine Herpesvirus 1,Herpes Labialis Viruses,Herpes Simplex Viruses,Herpes T Virus,Herpes-T Viruses,Herpesvirus Homini,Herpesvirus, Marmoset,Herpesviruses, Marmoset,Homini, Herpesvirus,Hominis, Herpesvirus,Labialis Virus, Herpes,Labialis Viruses, Herpes,Marmoset Herpesviruses,Marmoset Viruses,Platyrhinae, Herpesvirus,Saimirine Herpesvirus 1,Simplexviruses,Virus, Herpes Labialis,Viruses, Herpes Labialis