3'-O-Substituted 5-(perylen-3-ylethynyl)-2'-deoxyuridines as tick-borne encephalitis virus reproduction inhibitors.

A series of analogues of potent antiviral perylene nucleoside dUY11 with methylthiomethyl (MTM), azidomethyl (AZM) and HO-C1-4 -alkyl-1,2,3-triazol-1,4-diyl groups at 3'-O-position as well as the two products of copper-free alkyne-azide cycloaddition of the AZM derivative were prepared and evaluated against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Four compounds (4, 6, 8a, 8b) showed EC50  ≤ 10 nM, thus appearing the most potent TBEV inhibitors to date. Moreover, these nucleosides have higher lipophilicity (clogP) and increased solubility in aq. DMSO vs. parent compound dUY11.