Single amino acid change in DNA polymerase is associated with foscarnet resistance in a varicella-zoster virus strain recovered from a patient with AIDS

J Infect Dis. 1998 Nov:178 Suppl 1:S55-7. doi: 10.1086/514257.

Abstract

The genetic characterization of a foscarnet-resistant strain of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) that was isolated from a patient with AIDS is reported. Compared with the sequence of the Dumas reference strain, this strain, which was isolated from a patient in whom foscarnet treatment failed, had two point mutations. The emergence of one of the mutations, which includes a change from a glutamic acid to a lysine at position 512 in the DNA polymerase, suggests that this mutation is implicated in the VZV foscarnet resistance. The other mutation, which replaces serine 863 by a glycine, is also present in 2 susceptible strains--Oka and a wild-type isolate.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / virology
  • Adult
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / genetics*
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial / genetics
  • Foscarnet / pharmacology*
  • Herpes Zoster / complications
  • Herpes Zoster / virology
  • Herpesvirus 3, Human / drug effects*
  • Herpesvirus 3, Human / enzymology*
  • Herpesvirus 3, Human / genetics
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Point Mutation
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • DNA Primers
  • Foscarnet
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase