Novel strategy for anti-HIV-1 action:: selective cytotoxic effect of N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor on HIV-1-infected cells

N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) is essential for the survival of eukaryotes and the production of infectious human immunodeficiency virus type-1(HIV-1) by the host cell. In this study, we found decreases in the mRNA levels of human NMT isoforms and the NMT activities in the course of HIV-1 infection in the human T-cell line, CEM. Investigating the cytotoxic effect of the novel synthetic NMT inhibitors on the chronic HIV-1 infected T-cell line, CEM/LAV-1, and the uninfected CEM, revealed that the cytotoxic effect was significantly selective for CEM/LAV-1. This was thought to be due to the difference between the NMT levels of the cell lines. In this paper, we propose that NMT may be a candidate target for anti-HIV-1-infected-cell agents. (C) 2002 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.