Biomaterial Database

Mechanism of action and selectivity of acyclovir. 1982

G B Elion

Acyclovir, an acrylic purine nucleoside analog, is a highly potent inhibitor of herpes simplex virus (HSV), types 1 and 2, and varicella zoster virus, and has extremely low toxicity for the normal host cells. This selectivity is due to the ability of these viruses to code for a viral thymidine kinase capable of phosphorylating acyclovir to a monophosphate; this capability is essentially absent in uninfected cells. The acyclovir monophosphate (acyclo-GMP) is subsequently converted to acyclovir triphosphate (acyclo-GTP) by cellular enzymes. Acyclo-GTP persists in HSV-infected cells for many hours after acyclovir is removed from the medium. The amounts of acyclo-GTP formed in HSV-infected cells are 40 to 100 times greater than in uninfected Vero cells. Acyclo-GTP acts as a more potent inhibitor of the viral DNA polymerases than of the cellular polymerases. The DNA polymerases of HSV-1 and HSV-2 also use acyclo-GTP as a substrate and incorporate acyclo-GMP into the DNA primer-template to a much greater extent than do the cellular enzymes. The viral DNA polymerase binds strongly to the acyclo-GMP-terminated template, and in thereby inactivated.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002460	Cell Line	Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.	Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D006147	Guanine
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
D000998	Antiviral Agents	Agents used in the prophylaxis or therapy of VIRUS DISEASES. Some of the ways they may act include preventing viral replication by inhibiting viral DNA polymerase; binding to specific cell-surface receptors and inhibiting viral penetration or uncoating; inhibiting viral protein synthesis; or blocking late stages of virus assembly.	Antiviral,Antiviral Agent,Antiviral Drug,Antivirals,Antiviral Drugs,Agent, Antiviral,Agents, Antiviral,Drug, Antiviral,Drugs, Antiviral
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
D019384	Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors	Compounds that inhibit cell production of DNA or RNA.	DNA Polymerase Inhibitor,DNA Synthesis Inhibitor,DNA Synthesis Inhibitors,Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitor,RNA Synthesis Inhibitor,RNA Synthesis Inhibitors,DNA Polymerase Inhibitors,Inhibitors, DNA Synthesis,Inhibitors, Nucleic Acid Synthesis,Inhibitors, RNA Synthesis,Inhibitor, DNA Polymerase,Inhibitor, DNA Synthesis,Inhibitor, RNA Synthesis,Inhibitors, DNA Polymerase,Polymerase Inhibitor, DNA,Polymerase Inhibitors, DNA,Synthesis Inhibitor, DNA,Synthesis Inhibitor, RNA,Synthesis Inhibitors, DNA,Synthesis Inhibitors, RNA