Inhibition of human cytomegalovirus protease by enedione derivatives of thieno[2,3-d]oxazinones through a novel dual acylation/alkylation mechanism.

Enedione derivatives of thieno[2,3-d]oxazinones are nanomolar inhibitors of CMV protease which act through a novel dual acylation of the catalytic serine and alkylation of the protease cysteine 161 via a Michael addition to the enedione moiety of the inhibitor.