Inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus replication by poly(2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylic acid).

Poly(2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylic acid) is known to be an effective inhibitor of the deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase found within the oncornaviruses. This synthetic polynucleotide was found to inhibit the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus in mouse L cells. The polymer was shown to be capable of inhibiting the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA)-dependent RNA polymerase, and it is proposed that this is the mechanism of antiviral activity. The following observations support this viewpoint: (i) the polymer is most active when added after virus adsorption; (ii) the antiviral activity is not species specific; and (iii) the polynucleotide is nontoxic to the host cell. Conventional methodologies designed to increase nucleic acid uptake by cultured cells do not show an increase in antiviral potency.