Phosphorothioate Oligodeoxynucleotides Are Potent Sequence Nonspecific Inhibitors of De Novo Infection by HIV

Abstract
Phosphorothioate homo-oligodeoxynucleotides have recently been found to protect ATH-8 cells against the cytopathic effect of de novo infection by HIV. The effect is dose and chain-length dependent, with a maximum effect seen for 21–28-mers. We have now synthesized a series of phosphorothioate oligomers with mixed-based sequences and found that all of them have a dose-dependent cytoprotective effect that is maximal at an oligomer concentration of about 1–2 μM. The least effective sequences contain only A or T, and the most effective sequences have 40% GC content or greater. The results also confirm the length effect, namely that 21-mers are more cytoprotective than 14-mers.

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