DESIGN OF NEW MONONUCLEOTIDE PRODRUGS: ARYL (SATE) PHOSPHOTRIESTER DERIVATIVES.

Synthesis, biological activities and decomposition kinetics of novel phosphotriester derivatives of 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT) bearing a S-tButyl-2-thioethyl (tBuSATE) group and L-tyrosinyl residues are reported. All the derivatives appeared to be potent inhibitors of HIV-1 replication in various cell culture experiments. The proposed decomposition process of these mixed phosphotriesters may involve successively an esterase and then a phosphodiesterase activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]