| Abstract: | Among the structurally diverse NNRTIs, pyridinone scaffolds demonstrate high potency against HIV-1 wild type and drug-resistant strains. During the optimization of our pyridinone compound 1 (LAM-trans),we found that the introduction of the N atoms in the C-4 position could dramatically improve the water solubility (7b), whereas protonation of the piperidine N atom resulted in a decrease in its hydrophobic interaction with the binding pocket. In particular, protonation altered the orientation of the alicyclic rings in the hydrophobic pocket, thus impeding the formation of key halogen bond and eventually leading to a huge change in anti-HIV-1 RT activity. These results provided theoretical and experimental basis for the subsequent structural modification of pyridinone compounds. |
