Synthesis and biological properties of novel 2-aminopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones highly potent against HIV-1 mutant strains

Structural Insights of Three 2,4-Disubstituted Dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitriles as Potential Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitors

In this report, we describe the structural characterization of three 2,4-disubstituted-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives, namely 2-{[(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]sulfanyl}-6-oxo-4-propyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile 1, 4-(2-methylpropyl)-2-{[(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]sulfanyl}-6-oxo-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile 2, and 2-[(2-ethoxyethyl)sulfanyl]-6-oxo-4-phenyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile monohydrate 3. An X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that these compounds were crystallized in the centrosymmetric space groups and adopt an L-shaped conformation. One of the compounds (3) crystallized with a water molecule. A cyclic motif (R₂²(8)) mediated by N–H···O hydrogen bond was formed in compounds 1 and 2, whereas the corresponding motif was not favorable, due to the water molecule, in compound 3. The crystal packing of these compounds was analyzed based on energy frameworks performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. Various inter-contacts were characterized using the Hirshfeld surface and its associated 2D-fingerprint plots. Furthermore, a molecular docking simulation was carried out to assess the inhibitory potential of the title compounds against the human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme.

Design and synthesis of a novel series of non-nucleoside HIV-1 inhibitors bearing pyrimidine and N-substituted aromatic piperazine

A novel series of substituted piperazine-1-yl-pyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized as a new type of HIV-1 non-nucleoside inhibitors. Various N-substituted aromatic groups were incorporated into the piperazine ring through a simple and practical route to investigate the biological activity of these target compounds against wild-type and resistant strains of HIV-1. All of the target compounds were also evaluated as HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors in MT-4 cell cultures. The biological results showed that six of these compounds displayed inhibitory activities against the wild-type strain, among of which 7q and 7t were found to be the two most active analogues possessing EC₅₀ values of 31.50 μM and 3.36 μM, respectively. Molecular modeling studies of 7q provide valuable information for developing new anti-HIV-1 inhibitors.

Novel HIV-1 Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors: A Combinatorial Approach

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is one of the most effective means for fighting against HIV-infection. HAART primarily targets HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), and 14 of 28 compounds approved by the FDA as anti-HIV drugs act on this enzyme. HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) hold a special place among HIV RT inhibitors owing to their high specificity and unique mode of action. Nonetheless, these drugs show a tendency to decrease their efficacy due to high HIV-1 variability and formation of resistant virus strains tolerant to clinically applied HIV NNRTIs. A combinatorial approach based on varying substituents within various fragments of the parent molecule that results in development of highly potent compounds is one of the approaches aimed at designing novel HIV NNRTIs. Generation of HIV NNRTIs based on pyrimidine derivatives explicitly exemplifies this approach, which is discussed in this review.

3D-QSAR analysis of a series of S-DABO derivatives as anti-HIV agents by CoMFA and CoMSIA

In this study, we retrieved a series of 59 dihydroalkylthio-benzyloxopyrimidine (S-DABO) derivatives, which is a class of highly potent HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) reported from published articles, and analysed them with comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). Statistically significant three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models by CoMFA and CoMSIA were derived from a training set of 46 compounds on the basis of the rigid body alignment. Further, the predictive ability of the QSAR models was validated by a test set of 13 compounds. Based on the information derived from CoMFA and CoMSIA contour maps, we have identified some steric and electrostatic features for improving the activities of these inhibitors, and we validated the 3D-QSAR results by a molecular docking method. On the basis of the obtained results, we designed a new series of S-DABO derivatives with high activities. Therefore, this study could be utilized to design more potent S-DABO analogues as anti-HIV agents.

Synthesis and Anti-HIV-1 Evaluation of Some Novel MC-1220 Analogs as Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

Some novel MC-1220 analogs were synthesized by condensation of 4,6-dichloro-N-methylpyrimidin-2-amine derivatives (1a,b and 15) and/or 4-chloro-6-methoxy-N,N,5-trimethylpyrimidin-2-amine (2a) with the sodium salt of 2,6-difluorophenylacetonitrile followed by treatment with aqueous sodium hydroxide in methanol, alkylation, reduction, halogenation, and/or acidic hydrolysis. All synthesized compounds were evaluated for their activity against HIV-1. The most active compound in this study was compound 7, which showed activity against HIV-1 comparable to that of MC-1220. The only difference in structure between compound 7 and MC-1220 is a fluoro atom instead of a CH3 group.

Development and in Vitro Evaluation of a Microbicide Gel Formulation for a Novel Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Belonging to the N-Dihydroalkyloxybenzyloxopyrimidines (N-DABOs) Family

Preventing HIV transmission by the use of a vaginal microbicide is a topic of considerable interest in the fight against AIDS. Both a potent anti-HIV agent and an efficient formulation are required to develop a successful microbicide. In this regard, molecules able to inhibit the HIV replication before the integration of the viral DNA into the genetic material of the host cells, such as entry inhibitors or reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs), are ideal candidates for prevention purpose. Among RTIs, S- and N-dihydroalkyloxybenzyloxopyrimidines (S-DABOs and N-DABOs) are interesting compounds active at nanomolar concentration against wild type of RT and with a very interesting activity against RT mutations. Herein, novel N-DABOs were synthesized and tested as anti-HIV agents. Furthermore, their mode of binding was studied by molecular modeling. At the same time, a vaginal microbicide gel formulation was developed and tested for one of the most promising candidates.

Facile synthesis of the NNRTI microbicide MC-1220 and synthesis of its phosphoramidate prodrugs

A facile and novel synthetic route to MC-1220 was achieved by condensation of 4,6-dichloro-N,N-5-trimethylpyrimidin-2-amine (1) with the sodium salt of 2,6-difluorophenylacetonitrile, followed by methylation and strong acidic hydrolysis. The prodrugs of MC-1220 were synthesized by reaction of chlorophosphoramidate derivatives (7a-e) or α-acetobromoglucose with the sodium salt of MC-1220. The stability and anti-HIV-1 activity of phosphoramidate prodrugs turned out to be comparable to those of the parent drug MC-1220.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 4-Aminopiperidinyl-linked 3,5-Disubstituted-1,2,6-thiadiazine-1,1-dione Derivatives as HIV-1 NNRTIs

Based on the hybridization of the privileged fragments in DABO and DAPY-typed HIV-1 NNRTIs, a novel series of 4-aminopiperidinyl-linked 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,6-thiadiazine-1,1-dione derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro anti-HIV activities in MT-4 cells. Most of the target compounds showed weak inhibitory activity against WT HIV-1. In order to confirm the mode of action of the target compounds, representative compounds Ba8 and Bb8 were selected to perform the HIV-1 RT inhibitory assay. In this assay, Ba8 and Bb8 displayed good activity with IC50 values of 3.15 and 1.52 μm, respectively. Additionally, preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) analysis and molecular docking studies of newly synthesized compounds are also discussed.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-thioxopyrimidin-4(1H)-one derivatives as potential non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors

A series of new 5-allyl-6-benzylpyrimidin-4(3H)-ones bearing different substituents at the C-2 position of the pyrimidine core have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro activities against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the human T-lymphotropic type (MT-4 cell cultures). The majority of the title compounds showed moderate to good activities against HIV-1. Amongst them, 5-allyl-6-benzyl-2-(3-hydroxypropylthio)pyrimidin-4(3H)-one analogue 11c exhibited the most potent anti-HIV-1 activity (IC₅₀ 0.32 µM). The biological testing results clearly indicated that the substitution at C-2 position of the pyrimidine ring could increase the anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) activity.

Towards new C6-rigid S-DABO HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors: synthesis, biological investigation and molecular modeling studies

A series of C6-rigid S-DABO analogs characterized by a substituted benzoyl group at C6 position of the pyrimidine ring has been synthesized and biological evaluation as NNRTIs against wild-type HIV-1 strain IIIB, double RT mutant (K103N+Y181C) strain RES056 as well as HIV-2 strain ROD in MT-4 cell cultures. Most of the compounds exhibited moderate antiviral activities. Among them, compound 7q displayed the highest anti-HIV-1 activity with an EC50 value of 0.26μM and a selectivity index (SI) of 541. The preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) of these new S-DABOs was investigated, the target RT was confirmed and docking study was performed.

2-(Alkyl/aryl)amino-6-benzylpyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as inhibitors of wild-type and mutant HIV-1: enantioselectivity studies

The single enantiomers of two pyrimidine-based HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, 1 (MC1501) and 2 (MC2082), were tested in both cellular and enzyme assays. In general, the R forms were more potent than their S counterparts and racemates and (R)-2 was more efficient than (R)-1 and the reference compounds, with some exceptions. Interestingly, (R)-2 displayed a faster binding to K103N RT with respect to WT RT, while (R)-1 showed the opposite behavior.

Diarylpyrimidine-dihydrobenzyloxopyrimidine hybrids: new, wide-spectrum anti-HIV-1 agents active at (sub)-nanomolar level

Here, we describe a novel small series of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) that combine peculiar structural features of diarylpyrimidines (DAPYs) and dihydro-alkoxy-benzyl-oxopyrimidines (DABOs). These DAPY-DABO hybrids (1-4) showed a characteristic SAR profile and a nanomolar anti-HIV-1 activity at both enzymatic and cellular level. In particular, the two compounds 4d and 2d, with a (sub)nanomolar activity against wild-type and clinically relevant HIV-1 mutant strains, were selected as lead compounds for next optimization studies.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-substituted 5-alkyl-2-(phenylaminocarbonylmethylthio)pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as potent HIV-1 NNRTIs

A series of new 5-alkyl-2-phenylaminocarbonylmethylthiopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones bearing variously substituted arylmethyl moieties at the C6 position of the pyrimidine ring were synthesized and evaluated for anti-HIV activity in MT-4 cells. Most of these new congeners exhibited moderate to good activities against the wild-type virus, with EC(50) values in the range of 1.40-0.19 μM. Among them, 2-[(4-cyanophenylamino)carbonylmethylthio]-6-(2-chloro-6-fluorobenzyl)-5-ethylpyrimidin-4(3H)-one 4 b6 is one of the compounds endowed with the highest broad-spectrum HIV-1 inhibitory activity, with EC(50) values of 0.19±0.005 μM against the wild-type virus, 1.05±0.24 μM (twofold resistance) against the E138K strain, and 2.38±0.13 μM (4.5-fold resistance) against the Y181C strain. Furthermore, reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibition assays against wild-type HIV-1 RT were performed with selected derivatives, confirming that the main target of these compounds is HIV-1 RT and that these new S-DABO analogues act as non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs). Structure-activity relationship and molecular modeling analyses of these new congeners are also discussed.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel C5 halogen-functionalized S-DABO as potent HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors

A series of novel S-DABO analogues (4a1-5a12) have been synthesized by an efficient method and evaluated as inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). The biological testing results clearly indicated that the substitution of halogen at the C5 position of pyrimidine ring could increase the anti-HIV-1 RT activity. The most active compounds showed activity in the low micromole range with IC(50) values (IC(50) 0.18-3.03 microM) comparable to nevirapine (IC(50) 4.12 microM). The docking showed that a new halogen bond was formed between halogen and carbonyl of TYR188 in the HIV-I RT.

Synthesis and anti-HIV-1 activity of 1-substiuted 6-(3-cyanobenzoyl) and [(3-cyanophenyl)fluoromethyl]-5-ethyl-uracils

1-Substiuted 6-(3-cyanobenzoyl) and [(3-cyanophenyl)fluoromethyl]-5-ethyl-uracils were synthesized and evaluated in cell-based assays against HIV-1 wild-type and its clinically relevant non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-resistant mutants. Some of the synthesized compounds showed activity against HIV-1 wild-type in the same range as Emivirine (MKC-442). 3-{[3-(Allyloxymethyl)-5-ethyl-2,6-dioxo-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-4-yl]fluoromethyl}-benzonitrile 11b showed moderate activity against the Y181C HIV-1 mutant strain.

Design, Synthesis and Fungicidal Activity of Novel Strobilurin Analogues Containing Substituted N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amines

A series of novel compounds (5-8) was designed and synthesized by integrating the active pharmacophore of the N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amine fungicide with the structure of strobilurin fungicide. The rationale of this approach was to determine if these new compounds exhibit unique biological activity (selectivity and potency) compared with the commercial standards. The title compounds were prepared from 2-(phenylamino)pyrimidin-4-ols (3) by treatment with one equivalent of intermediates (4) containing strobilurin pharmacophores. 2-(Phenylamino)pyrimidin-4-ols (3) were in turn prepared from phenylguanidines (1) and substituted β-ketoesters (2). Biological activities evaluated in the greenhouse indicated that compounds 5a, 6a and 7a have good fungicidal activity at 25 mg/L, comparable with that of the commercial standards, cyprodinil and azoxystrobin.

5-Alkyl-6-benzyl-2-(2-oxo-2-phenylethylsulfanyl)pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones, a series of anti-HIV-1 agents of the dihydro-alkoxy-benzyl-oxopyrimidine family with peculiar structure-activity relationship profile

A series of dihydro-alkylthio-benzyl-oxopyrimidines (S-DABOs) bearing a 2-aryl-2-oxoethylsulfanyl chain at pyrimidine C2, an alkyl group at C5, and a 2,6-dichloro-, 2-chloro-6-fluoro-, and 2,6-difluoro-benzyl substitution at C6 (oxophenethyl- S-DABOs, 6-8) is here described. The new compounds showed low micromolar to low nanomolar (in one case subnanomolar) inhibitory activity against wt HIV-1. Against clinically relevant HIV-1 mutants (K103N, Y181C, and Y188L) as well as in enzyme (wt and K103N, Y181I, and L100I mutated RTs) assays, compounds carrying an ethyl/ iso-propyl group at C5 and a 2,6-dichloro-/2-chloro-6-fluoro-benzyl moiety at C6 were the most potent derivatives, also characterized by low fold resistance ratio. Interestingly, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) data drawn from this DABO series are more related to HEPT than to DABO derivatives. These findings were at least in part rationalized by the description of a fair superimposition between the 6-8 and TNK-651 (a HEPT analogue) binding modes in both WT and Y181C RTs.