The selectivity of inhibition of herpesvirus deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by acycloguanosine, 2'-fluoro-5-iodo-aracytosine, and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine was determined by isopycnic banding of 32P-labeled deoxyribonucleic acid from herpesvirus-infected and uninfected cells.An important property of an antiviral compound is the selectivity of its action. Most compounds with a high activity against herpesviruses are nucleoside analogs (3,8,9,11 press). To measure both viral and cellular DNA synthesis, nonconfluent cell cultures and a low multiplicity of infection were used. The selective action of acycloguanosine (ACG), 2'-fluoro-5-iodoaracytosine (FIAC), and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BrVDU) on viral and cellular DNA synthesis in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected and uninfected Vero cells has been determined by isopycnic banding of DNA in CsCl gradients. These nucleosides have previously shown a high antiherpes activity (1,5,10,12,13) and are also known to require the presence of herpesvirus-induced thymidine kinase for their antiviral activity (2, 5, 10).ACG showed a high selectivity in the inhibition of viral DNA synthesis ( Fig. 1A to C; Table 1). When viral DNA synthesis was inhibited by 90% at 0.3 uM, only 15% inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis was observed. No effect on DNA synthesis in uninfected cells could be detected at this concentration and 310 ,M ACG was required for a 50% inhibition. The high selectivity found for ACG correlates well with earlier results showing that ACG is phosphorylated to a much higher extent to its mono-, di-, and triphosphate in HSV-1-infected celis than in uninfected cells and that ACG triphosphate is selectively accepted by HSV-1 DNA polymerase, leading to chain termination (5, 7).FIAC was less selective than ACG in the inhibition of viral DNA synthesis in infected cells ( Fig. 1D to F; Table 1). At 0.10 ,uM a 90% inhibition of viral DNA synthesis was obtained, whereas cellular DNA synthesis in infected cells was inhibited by 40%. However, DNA synthesis in uninfected cells was not inhibited at this concentration, and 64 ,LM FIAC was required to obtain a 50% inhibition, which confirms the results of Lopez et al. (10) showing a high selectivity by FIAC when effects on HSV-1 multiplication and cytotoxicity for uninfected Vero cells were compared.BrVDU inhibited viral DNA synthesis by 90% at a concentration of 0.6 uM ( Fig. 1G to I; Table 1). As in the case of FIAC, but not of ACG, the cellular DNA synthesis in infected cells was also affected, to 60%, at this concentration. In the uninfected cells, DNA synthesis was not affected by 0.6 juM BrVDU, and at 440 ,M a 50% inhibition was observed. These results agree with those of De Clercq et al. (1), who have shown previously that BrVDU inhibits HSV-1 multiplication at low concentrations, while not affecting the growth of uninfected cells.In a cell-free assay, BrVDU seems to be selectively phosphorylated by HSV-1 thymidine kinase (A. Larsson, unpublished data