Design and synthesis of novel 2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides as potential antiviral agents.

On the basis of potent anti-HIV activity of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides (ddNs), their bioisosteric analogues, 2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides (4'-seleno-ddNs) were first synthesized from a chiral template, d-glutamic acid using stereoselective ring-closure reaction of the dimesylate with Se(2-) and Pummerer type condensation of the selenoxide with nucleobases as key steps. X-ray crystallographic analysis indicated that 4'-seleno-ddNs adopted the same C2'-endo/C3'-exo (South) conformation as anti-HIV active ddNs, but did not show anti-HIV activity, indicating that RT seems to prefer the C2'-exo/C3'-endo (North) conformation on binding with their triphosphates.