A one-pot preparation of N-2-mercaptobenzoyl-amino amides.

The HIV-1 nucleocapsid (NCp7), structurally defined by zinc-binding domains, participates in crucial stages of the HIV-1 lifecycle and is mutationally nonpermissive, making it an attractive anti-HIV target. Mode of action studies have shown that the secondary structure and activity of NCp7 can be disrupted by acyl transfer from N-2-mercaptobenzoyl-amino amides. We have developed an improved one-pot reaction that affords N-2-mercaptobenzoyl-amino acids on multi-gram scales. This synthetic route allows for rapid modular construction and has greatly expanded the scope of easily accessible potential NCp7 inhibitors.