Molecular Pharmacology, Vol 11, 421-426, Copyright © 1975 by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Inhibition of Ribonucleic Acid-Directed Deoxyribonucleic Acid Polymerase of Murine Leukemia Virus by Polyribonucleotides and Their 2'-O-Methylated Derivatives

¹ Department of Medical Viral Oncology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
² Department of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205

Poly(inosinic acid) [poly(I)], poly(2'-O-methylinosinic acid) [poly(Im)], poly(uridylic acid) [pol(U)], and poly(2'-O-methyluridylic acid) [poly(Um)] inhibit the RNA-directed DNA polymerase activity of Moloney murine leukemia virus. Poly(cytidylic acid) [pol(U)], and poly(2'-O-methyluridylic acid) [poly(Um)] inhibit the RNA-inhibition. The apparent inhibition kinetics for poly(I) and poly(Im) inhibition of the poly(A):oligo(dT)-directed reaction and that for poly(U) and poly(Um) inhibition of the poly(C):oligo(dG)-directed reaction are not consistent with a simple competitive inhibition with respect to the template. The following order of the potency of inhibition is observed: poly(I) > poly(Im) > poly(U) > poly(Um) > > poly(C) or poly(Cm).