Inhibition in vitro of the replication of murine cytomegalovirus or reovirus type 3 by the glutamine analogue acivicin.

The replication of synchronised cultures of Balb/c L-3T3 fibroblasts was shown to require glutamine at a concentration of at least 0.12 mM, but the replication of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) or reovirus type 3 in the cells required at least 0.25 mM glutamine. In the presence of 2 mM glutamine, the glutamine analogue acivicin inhibited DNA synthesis at a minimum concentration of 2 microM in uninfected cells but partially inhibited the replication of MCMV at 0.12 microM and reovirus at 0.03 microM, and totally inhibited MCMV production at 1.0 microM and reovirus at 0.5 microM. Although the therapeutic index in this instance is not great, it does offer encouragement to explore other amino acid analogues as possible broad-spectrum antiviral agents.