Thalassiolins A–C: new marine-derived inhibitors of HIV cDNA integrase

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication requires integration of viral cDNA into the host genome, a process mediated by the viral enzyme integrase. We describe a new series of HIV integrase inhibitors, thalassiolins A–C ( 1 – 3 ), isolated from the Caribbean sea grass Thalassia testudinum . The thalassiolins are distinguished from other flavones previously studied by the substitution of a sulfated β- d -glucose at the 7-position, a substituent that imparts increased potency against integrase in biochemical assays. The most active of these molecules, thalassiolin A ( 1 ), displays in vitro inhibition of the integrase catalyzed strand transfer reaction (IC 50 =0.4 μM) and an antiviral IC 50 of 30 μM. Molecular modeling studies indicate a favorable binding mode is probable at the catalytic core domain of HIV-1 integrase.