Inhibition of oncornavirus functions by 2'-azido polynucleotides

The 2'-azido analogs of poly(U) and poly(C), poly(dUz) [poly(2'-azido-2'-deoxyuridylic acid)], and poly-(dCz [poly(2'-azido-2'-deoxycytidylic acid)], were found to inhibit the RNA-directed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) activity of murine leukemia (Moloney, Rauscher) and sarcoma (Moloney) virus, and feline leukemia (Theilen) and sarcoma (Gardner) virus, while under the same conditions the unsubstituted parent compounds failed to do so. In addition, poly(dUz) and poly(dCz) inhibited the replication of exogenous murine sarcoma virus (Moloney) in nontransformed cells (as assessed by an infectious center assay), but poly(dUz) failed to suppress the formation of endogenous sarcoma and leukemia viruses in transformed cell lines (MO-P, JLSV5). In these same cells, poly(dUz) failed to inhibit the multiplication of vesicular stomatitis virus. These data add further strength to the contention that reverse transcriptase is necessary for the productive infection and transformation of normal cells by oncornaviruses but is not essential maintenance of this transformed state and the continuous production of new viruses particles by these transformed cells.