Chromone and chromanone derivatives as strand transfer inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase

Abstract

HIV-1 integrase catalyzes terminal cleavage at the 3' end of the proviral DNA, removing a pair of bases and causing strand transfer by joining the 3' end to 5"-phosphates in the target DNA. Several aryl 1,3-diketo acids that can inhibit the strand transfer reaction of HIV-1 IN have been identified. Here we synthesized a new series of compounds with a chromone or chromanone ring as conformation ally constrained scaffolds of 1,3-diketo acids, and then tested their ability to inhibit HIV-1 IN-mediated strand transfer. All compounds moderately inhibited HIV-1 IN activity, indicating that the conformational restriction of one keto group into a chromone or chromanone ring decreases inhibition of the HIV-1 IN strand transfer.