In the course of screening compounds for antiviral activity, it was found that N-carbobenzoxy and N-carbethoxyglycylaminomalonic acid diethyl esters seemed to have a slight virus inhibiting effect.'It appeared possible that the malonic ester residue was unnecessary and that the N-substituted amino acids were functioning as antimetabolites against essential amino acids. This theory was tested by the synthesis of N-carbethoxy derivatives of some ...
