The mechanism of action of beta-D-2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-2'-C-methylcytidine involves a second metabolic pathway leading to beta-D-2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-2'-C-methyluridine 5'-triphosphate, a potent inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2008 Feb;52(2):458-64. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01184-07. Epub 2007 Nov 12.

Abstract

beta-D-2'-Deoxy-2'-fluoro-2'-C-methylcytidine (PSI-6130) is a potent inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication in an HCV replicon assay. The 5'-triphosphate of PSI-6130 is a competitive inhibitor of the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and acts as a nonobligate chain terminator. Recently, it has been shown that the metabolism of PSI-6130 also results in the formation of the 5'-triphosphate of the uridine congener, beta-D-2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-2'-C-methyluridine (PSI-6206; RO2433). Here we show that the formation of the 5'-triphosphate of RO2433 (RO2433-TP) requires the deamination of PSI-6130 monophosphate and that RO2433 monophosphate is subsequently phosphorylated to the corresponding di- and triphosphates by cellular UMP-CMP kinase and nucleoside diphosphate kinase, respectively. RO2433-TP is a potent inhibitor of the HCV RdRp; however, both enzymatic and cell-based assays show that PSI-6130 triphosphate is a more potent inhibitor of the HCV RdRp than RO2433-TP.

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line
  • Cytidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Cytidine / pharmacology
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / chemistry
  • Deoxycytidine / metabolism
  • Deoxycytidine / pharmacology
  • Hepacivirus / drug effects*
  • Hepacivirus / enzymology
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Phosphorylation
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Replicon / drug effects
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Uridine Triphosphate / analogs & derivatives
  • Uridine Triphosphate / chemistry
  • Uridine Triphosphate / metabolism*
  • Uridine Triphosphate / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-2'-C-methylcytidine
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Cytidine
  • pyrimidin-2-one beta-ribofuranoside
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
  • Uridine Triphosphate