Escherichia coli recA protein catalyzes a specific proteolytic cleavage of repressors in vitro when it is activated by interaction with a single-stranded polynucleotide and nucleoside triphosphate. The ATP analogue adenosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATP gamma S) satisfies the NTP requirement. We show here that despite its activity in repressor cleavage, ATP gamma S is hydrolyzed at a negligib...

5-Amino-2,5-dideoxy-5-iodouridine, a nel thymidine analogue, is a potent inhibitor of herpes simplex virus type 1 replication. In contrast to most other nucleoside analogues which possess antiviral activity, 5-amino-2,5-dideoxy-5-iodouridine exhibits little, if any, cellular toxicity. Preliminary evidence suggests that 5-amino-2,5-dideoxy-5-iodouridine selectively inhibits viral-specific DNA sy...

We have recently reported that 2',3'dideoxy analogues of our exquisitely potent anti-VZV furanopyrimidine deoxynucleosides are shifted to selective anti-HCMV agents. We now find that the fully deoxygenated 2',3',5'-trideoxy analogue is fully antivirally active. This is taken as proof that these agents act by a novel non-nucleoside mechanism of action.

To investigate their potential mechanisms of action, the nucleoside analogue ribavirin and a TLR9 agonist were compared. The CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) demonstrated strong TLR9-related Th1-type effects, and ribavirin appeared only to mediate signaling in TLR-transfected cells. CpG ODN represent a promising new type of therapeutic drug for hepatitis C or other infectious diseases.

Among the many somatic genome alterations present in cancer cells, changes in DNA methylation may represent reversible "epigenetic" lesions, rather than irreversible "genetic" alterations. Cancer cell DNA is typically characterized by increases in the methylation of CpG dinucleotides clustered into CpG islands, near the transcriptional regulatory regions of critical genes, and by an overall red...

Wachsman, J. T. (University of Illinois, Urbana) and R. Mangalo. Use of 8-azaguanine for the isolation of auxotrophic mutants of Bacillus megaterium. J. Bacteriol. 83:35-37. 1962.-8-Azaguanine is bactericidal for Bacillus megaterium strain KM, primarily under conditions where growth is possible. This analogue has been used to enrich for auxotrophic mutants in ultraviolet-irradiated populations....