Antiviral enantiomeric preference for 5'-noraristeromycin

In order to determine if the potent antiviral properties of (+/-)-5'-noraristeromycin reside in one of its enantiomers, an analysis of each enantiomer has been carried out. A five-step route to the (+)-stereoisomer is described from (+)-(1R,4S)-4-hydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-yl acetate, whereas the synthesis of the (-)-enantiomer had been reported previously from the same starting material. The (-)-2 and (+)-2 enantiomers were evaluated for antiviral activity against a large number of viruses and found to display an antiviral activity spectrum characteristic of (S)-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase inhibitors. The (-)-enantiomer retained the significant anticytomegalovirus properties previously reported for the racemic 2 and was, on the average, 10-fold more potent than (+)-2 in inhibiting virus replication, tumor cell growth, and (S)-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase activity.