The inhibition of cellular factors that are involved in viral replication may be an important alternative to the commonly used strategy of targeting viral enzymes. The guanylhydrazone CNI-1493, a potent inhibitor of the deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS), prevents the activation of the cellular factor eIF-5A and thereby suppresses HIV replication and a number of other diseases. Here, we report on the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of CNI-1493 analogues. The sebacoyl linker in CNI-1493 was replaced by different alkyl or aryl dicarboxylic acids. Most of the tested derivatives suppress HIV-1 replication efficiently in a dose-dependent manner without showing toxic side effects. The unexpected antiviral activity of the rigid derivatives point to a second binding mode as previously assumed for CNI-1493. Moreover, the chemical stability of CNI-1493 was analysed, showing a successive hydrolysis of the imino bonds. By molecular dynamics simulations, the behaviour of the parent CNI-1493 in solution and its interactions with DHS were investigated.
Keywords: Anti-HIV activity; DHS; Deoxyhypusine synthase; Inhibitor synthesis; eIF-5A.
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