3'-AZIDO-3'-DEOXYTHYMIDINE RESISTANCE SUPPRESSED BY A MUTATION CONFERRING HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 RESISTANCE TO NONNUCLEOSIDE REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS

Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase (NNRT) inhibitors {R82913; (+)-S-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-9-chloro-5-methyl-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-imidazo[4,5,1-jk][1,4]-benzodiazepin-2(1H)-thione; Cl-TIBO; and BI-RG-587, nevirapine} were used to select resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variants by passage in cell cultures of wild-type or 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (zidovudine; AZT)-resistant strains. Similar to other NNRT inhibitors, Cl-TIBO induced a single mutation (Y181 to C) in reverse transcriptase (RT) that accounted for the resistance. BI-RG-587 induced a different mutation (V106-->A) in AZT resistance backgrounds. A series of viable HIV-1 variants was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis of the RT, which harbored multiple drug resistance mutations, including Y181 to C. HIV-1 that was coresistant to NNRT inhibitors and 2',3'-dideoxyinosine resulted when a 2',3'-dideoxyinosine resistance mutation (L74 to V) was also present in RT. By contrast, however, the Y181 to C mutation in an AZT resistance background significantly suppressed resistance to AZT, while it conferred resistance to NNRT inhibitors. However, the V106-->A substitution did not cause suppression of preexisting AZT resistance. Since certain combinations of nucleoside analogs and NNRT inhibitors might result in the development of coresistance, careful analysis of clinical isolates obtained during combination therapy will be needed to determine the potential significance of these observations.