title: Lysine derivatives as potent HIV protease inhibitors. Discovery, synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies.
abstract: A screening assay program on HIV-protease was carried out on more than fifty commercially available N-protected amino acids and has revealed that those with a long side chain such as lysine, ornithine and arginine exhibited significant inhibition of HIV protease enzyme. The presence of an Fmoc group was found to be essential to obtain micromolar inhibitors and the addition of an alkyl group at the Nalpha-position resulted in the discovery of the lead compound 11 displaying a 5 nM inhibition constant. Although this new inhibitor series is not categorized among those mimicking the substrate with a non-hydrolyzable transition-state isoster, it was found very specific to inhibit HIV protease enzyme in comparison to the mammalian aspartyl proteases pepsin, renin and cathepsin. Furthermore, these inhibitors did not show any cytotoxicity at a concentration below 75 microM.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacor Inc., 535, Cartier West Blvd., Laval, Que, H7V 3S8, Canada. abouzide@neurochem.com
authors.forename: Abderrahim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouzide
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sauvé
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yelle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000187:drug effects*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D000092502:Renin Inhibitors
chemical_list: D002403:Cathepsins; D016333:HIV Protease; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D008239:Lysine; D010434:Pepsin A; D000092502:Renin Inhibitors