Mechanism of Action of 1-β-d-2,6-Diaminopurine Dioxolane, a Prodrug of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Inhibitor 1-β-d-Dioxolane Guanosine

(−)-β-d-2,6-Diaminopurine dioxolane (DAPD), is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor with activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). DAPD, which was designed as a water-soluble prodrug, is deaminated by adenosine deaminase to give (−)-β-d-dioxolane guanine (DXG). By using calf adenosine deaminase a K(m) value of 15 ± 0.7 μM was determined for DAPD, which was similar to the K(m) value for adenosine. However, the k(cat) for DAPD was 540-fold slower than the k(cat) for adenosine. In CEM cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to DAPD or DXG, only the 5′-triphosphate of DXG (DXG-TP) was detected. DXG-TP is a potent alternative substrate inhibitor of HIV-1 RT. Rapid transient kinetic studies show the efficiency of incorporation for DXG-TP to be lower than that measured for the natural substrate, 2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-triphosphate. DXG-TP is a weak inhibitor of human DNA polymerases α and β. Against the large subunit of human DNA polymerase γ a K(i) value of 4.3 ± 0.4 μM was determined for DXG-TP. DXG showed little or no cytotoxicity and no mitochondrial toxicity at the concentrations tested.