Discussion

Previously, we synthesized and evaluated several thienopyrimidine derivatives containing heterocyclic ring substituents linked to the pyrimidine-2-thione nucleus at C-2 by a two- to four-atom spacer as potential anti-HIV-1 and antimicrobial agents. Also, from the literature, S-substituted pyrimidin-4-ones A and B exhibited interesting anti-HIV-1 activity. To further investigate the synthesis, tools and biological activities, we synthesized several new thienopyrimidine derivatives derived from thieno[2,3-d]-pyrimidine-2,4-dithione (3a,b) The compounds were designed to comprise the heterocyclic substituents directly linked to the thienopyrimidines nucleus at C-2. Moreover, various related triazolo[4,3-a]benzothieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines derived from 2-thioxothienopyrimidine were also prepared as isosteres. Among the synthesized derivatives 3–18, the compounds 3a, 8a, 10a, 13a and 14a were showing complete inhibition at 128 mg/mL or less.

The synthesis and anti-HIV activity evaluation of a new series of 2,4-pyrimidinediones bearing a 6-(1-naphthoyl) group are described. In general, it was found that most of the title compounds showed good activities against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). In particular, compound 26 displayed the most potent anti-HIV-1 activity (IC₅₀ = 0.11 ± 0.05 μM), inhibiting HIV-1 replication in MT-4 cells more effectively than HEPT (by 45-fold) and DDI (by 50-fold).

The very first TSAO derivative that lacks the 4″-amino group at the 3′-spiro moiety (compound 3) has been prepared and the effect of this modification on the activity/resistance profile has been evaluated. This molecule proved HIV-1 specific (NNRTI-characteristic). A mixture of wild-type and V106V/A or L234L/I mutations were found in the RT of some, but not all compound 3-resistant virus strains. Compound 3 does not select for the TSAO-specific E138K mutation in the RT. However, the compound markedly lost its antiviral potential against a variety of virus strains that contain NNRTI-characteristic mutations in RT including E138K. The deaminated TSAO compound must fit differently in the HIV-1 RT enzyme than its prototype TSAO-m³T.

Capravirine (CPV; formerly AG1549 and S-1153) is a novel, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) that has demonstrated potent in vitro antiviral activity against several HIV-1 laboratory strains and clinical isolates with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.7 to 10.3 nM. In this study, we evaluated the resistance and cross-resistance profiles of CPV through selection of resistant HIV-1 variants from in vitro serial passage of HIV-1 NL4-3 and HIV-1 IIIB and by performing susceptibility assays on HIV-1 variants constructed to contain CPV-specific amino acid substitutions in reverse transcriptase (RT). Results demonstrate that HIV-1 variants selected at increasing CPV concentrations contained multiple substitutions in diverse patterns including L100I, Y181C, G190E and/or L234I in various combinations with K101R/E, K103T, V106A/I, V108I, E138K, T139K, A158T, V179D/I/G, Y188D, V189I, G190A, F227C, W229R, L234F, M230I/L and P236H/T. Interestingly, HIV-1 variants constructed to contain the T215Y zidovudine (AZT)-resistance associated substitution with CPV-resistance associated substitutions V106A, Y181C, F227C, F227L, L234I or V106A/F227L demonstrated 2.4–5.4-fold increased susceptibility to CPV. Results also demonstrate that the CPV-resistance associated substitutions Y181C, F227C, F227L and L234I reverse the phenotypic resistance to AZT conferred by the T215Y substitution.

Amino acids N137 and P140 in the p51 subunit of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) are part of the β7–β8-loop that contributes to the formation of the base of the non-nucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI)-binding pocket and makes up a substantial part of the dimerization interface. Amino acid P95 in p66 also markedly contributes to the dimerization binding energy. Nine RT mutants at amino acid 137 were constructed bearing the mutations Y, K, T, D, A, Q, S, H or E. The prolines at amino acid positions 95 and 140 were replaced by alanine in separate enzymes. We found that all mutant RT enzymes showed a dramatically decreased RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity. None of the mutant RT enzymes showed marked resistance against any of the clinically used NNRTIs but they surprisingly lost significant sensitivity for NRTIs such as ddGTP. The denaturation analyses of the mutant RTs by urea are suggestive for a relevant role of N137 in the stability of the RT heterodimer and support the view that the β7–β8 loop in p51 is a hot spot for RT dimerization and instrumental for efficient polymerase catalytic activity. Consequently, N137 and P140 in p51 and P95 in p66 should be attractive targets in the design of new structural classes of RT inhibitors aimed at compromising the optimal interaction of the β7–β8 loop in p51 at the p66/p51 dimerization interface.

A series of 6-naphthylmethyl substituted S-alkylated dihydroalkoxybenzyloxopyrimidine (S-DABO) analogues with a β-carbonyl group on the C-2 side chain were synthesized. All of the new compounds were evaluated for their anti-HIV activities in MT-4 cells. The most active compound, 5-isopropyl-2-[(4^′-methoxyphenylcarbonyl-methyl)thio]-6-(1-naphthylmethyl)pyrimidin- 4(3H)-one showed activity against HIV-1 and against the double mutated strain of HIV(Y181C and K103N) in the micromolar range. Furthermore, some of the compounds are active against both HIV-1 and HIV-2 in cell culture. In view of the fact that the loss of antiviral activity of these compounds when tested against S0561945 was much less pronounced than the loss of activity of typical NNRTIs, it is concluded that some of the compounds might interfere with another target or act on reverse transcriptase in a different way than the typical NNRTIs.