Stereoselective biotransformations using fungi as biocatalysts

The development of novel biocatalytic methods is a continuously growing area of chemistry, microbiology, and genetic engineering due to the fact that biocatalysts are selective, easy-to-handle, and environmentally friendly. A wide range of reactions are catalyzed by microorganisms. Fungi can be considered as a promising source of new biocatalysts, mainly for chiral reactions. Chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective processes are very important in the synthesis of many chemical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical intermediates; active pharmaceuticals; and food ingredients. This report reviews stereoselective reactions mediated by fungi, such as stereoselective hydroxylation, sulfoxidation, epoxidation, Baeyer–Villiger oxidation, deracemization, and stereo- and enantioselective reduction of ketones, published between 2000 and 2007.     

Stereoselective epoxidation of 4-fluoro-4-nitrocyclohexenes

Novel fluorinated α-epoxycyclohexanes were synthesized in up to 96% yields by epoxidation of the Diels–Alder adducts of β-fluoro-β-nitrostyrenes and 2,3-dimethylbuta-1,3-diene. The epoxidation with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid and subsequent hydrolysis into diols were found to proceed in a highly stereoselective manner.     

Stereoselective transformation of easily available (2Z,4E)-2,4-alkadien-1-ols into (E)-3-alkene-1,2,5-triol derivatives

Synthesis of 3-alkenyl-1,2,5-triol derivatives, potentially useful intermediates in organic synthesis, is established, which constitutes stereoselective epoxidation of the hitherto hardly accessible dienyl alcohols of the cis,trans stereochemistry followed by Pd-catalyzed reaction with AcOH.     

Activation of nitrous oxide and selective epoxidation of alkenes catalyzed by the manganese-substituted polyoxometalate, [Mn(III)2ZnW(Zn2W9O34)2]10-

A manganese(III)-substituted polyoxometalate of the "sandwich" structure, [MnIII2ZnW(ZnW9O34)2]10-, catalyzed the highly selective (>99.9%) epoxidation of alkenes, such as 1-octene, 2-octene, and cyclohexene with nitrous oxide. Reactions occurred in homogeneous media at 150 degrees C under 1 atm N2O. The epoxidation had a linear reaction profile; turnover frequencies of 0.5-1.4 h-1 were measured. The reactions were also stereoselective; for example, cis-stilbene gave cis-stilbene oxide. From ESR spectroscopy, it was shown that a Mn(II) octahedral species is reversibly formed by reaction between the original Mn(III) polyoxometalate and N2O. Therefore, it would appear that a Mn(V)-oxo active species is not formed; it is possible that the activation of nitrous oxide was by its oxidation by the Mn(III) polyoxometalate.     

Engineering P450 Peroxygenase to Catalyze Highly Enantioselective Epoxidation of cis‐β‐Methylstyrenes

P450 119 peroxygenase and its site‐directed mutants are discovered to catalyze the enantioselective epoxidation of methyl‐substituted styrenes. Two new site‐directed P450 119 mutants, namely T213Y and T213M, which were designed to improve the enantioselectivity and activity for the epoxidation of styrene and its methyl substituted derivatives, were studied. The T213M mutant is found to be the first engineered P450 peroxygenase that shows highly enantioselective epoxidation of cis‐β‐methylstyrenes, with up to 91 % ee. Molecular modeling studies provide insights into the different catalytic activity of the T213M mutant and the T213Y mutant in the epoxidation of cis‐β‐methylstyrene. The results of the calculations also contribute to a better understanding of the substrate specificity and configuration control for the regio‐ and stereoselective peroxygenation catalyzed by the T213M mutant.     

First stereoselective total synthesis of Phomolide G and H via RCM protocol

A first total synthetic route has been reported for the synthesis of Phomolide G and H. The syntheses of fragments were initiated from commercially available and inexpensive starting material (R)-epichlorohydrin. The synthesis involves a key Sharpless epoxidation, stereoselective epoxide opening, lactonization and ring closing metathesis (RCM).     

Stereoselective total synthesis of arenastatin A, a spongean cytotoxic depsipeptide

A highly stereoselective total synthesis of arenastatin A, an extremely potent cytotoxic cyclic depsipeptide from marine sponge, was developed. The desired 7,8-β-epoxide in arenastatin A was constructed by asymmetric sulfur ylide-mediated epoxidation in good yield and highly stereoselective manner.     

Highly stereoselective epoxidation of O-protected 3-hydroxy-1-nitroalkenes

The diastereoselectivity of the nucleophilic epoxidation of O-protected 3-hydroxy-1-nitroalkenes was investigated. Epoxidation of the O-protected 3-hydroxy-1-nitroalkenes was highly stereoselective, giving rise to the anti isomer. The resulting nitroepoxides have been transformed into nitroaldols through hydrogenation. The nucleophilic epoxidation of nitroalkenes was found to be irreversible. Models to explain the observed stereoselectivities are proposed.     

Chiral tertiary amine N-oxides in asymmetric epoxidation of α,β-unsaturated ketones

Chiral tertiary amine N-oxides have been shown to undergo stereoselective oxygen transfer reaction in the epoxidation of chalcone derivatives with modest to good enantioselectivity.     

Stereoselective VO(acac)(2) Catalyzed Epoxidation of Acyclic Homoallylic Diols. Complementary Preparation of C2-syn-3,4-Epoxy Alcohols

A substrate-controlled stereoselective epoxidation of free and monoprotected homoallylic diols was developed. This second-generation approach is based on the incorporation of a primary hydroxy directing group at the C2 methyl carbon, which changes the nature of the vanadium ester intermediate providing a new diastereoselectivity manifold for the preparation of 3,4-epoxy alcohols. This modification favored the formation of the challenging C2-syn epoxy alcohol product not previously available using the standard homoallylic alcohol substrates. These new epoxy alcohol diastereomers expand the scope and generality for the utilization of 3,4-epoxy alcohols as precursors for stereoselective polypropionate synthesis.     

First stereoselective synthesis of synargentolide A and revision of absolute stereochemistry

The first stereoselective total synthesis of synargentolide A isolated from Syncolostemon argenteus has been achieved from commercially available (R)-benzyl glycidyl ether using Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and cross-metathesis reactions as the key steps. Comparing the spectral data of the synthesized and naturally occurring synargentolide A, the C4′ and C6′- stereogenic centers of the natural synargentolide A were assigned a corrected anti relationship.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of dodoneine

The stereoselective total synthesis of the naturally occurring bioactive dihydropyranone dodoneine has been achieved involving the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, 1,3-syn diastereoselective reduction and Grubb’s ring-closing metathesis as key steps.     

Heck arylation of styrenes with arenediazonium salts: short, efficient, and stereoselective synthesis of resveratrol, DMU-212, and analogues

Short, efficient, and stereoselective synthesis of the trans-stilbenes resveratrol, DMU-212, and analogues of both compounds are described. The synthesis of these important anti-cancer agents feature the palladium catalyzed Heck-Matsuda arylation of styrenes with arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of Ieodomycin A and B

The stereoselective total synthesis of Ieodomycin A and B, bioactive secondary metabolites from marine sources with potent anti-microbial activity was achieved starting from commercially available geranial. The key steps involved in the synthetic sequence of Ieodomycin A and B are the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, the formation of a β-ketoester, and the 1,3-anti reduction. The synthesis of C-3 epimer of Ieodomycin A and B was also accomplished in good yields.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (−)-cytoxazone and (+)-epi-cytoxazone, novel cytokine modulators via Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and l-proline catalyzed Mannich reaction

A short and efficient enantioselective synthesis of (−)-cytoxazone and its stereoisomer (+)-epi-cytoxazone, novel cytokine modulators, has been described with good yield and enantioselectivity. Ti-catalyzed Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of allyl alcohol and l-proline catalyzed three-component Mannich reaction constitute the key steps in introducing stereogenicity into the molecule.     

Stereoselective synthesis of pachastrissamine (jaspine B)

A stereoselective synthesis in enantiopure form of the natural anhydrophytosphingosine pachastrissamine (jaspine B), a metabolite isolated from sponges, is described. The chiral epoxide (R)-glycidol was the starting material. Key steps of this synthesis are a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, an intramolecular stereospecific epoxide opening mediated by a trichloroacetimidate group, and the formation of a tetrahydrofuran ring via intramolecular nucleophilic displacement.     

Stereoselective synthesis of belactosin C and its derivatives using a catalytic proline catalyzed crossed-aldol reaction

A highly practical and concise stereoselective total synthesis of belactosin C and synthetic variants was achieved using an S-proline catalyzed crossed-aldol reaction as the key step.     

Synthesis of chiral allenes from ynamides through a highly stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement

A highly stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement using chiral ynamides and propargyl alcohols is described here. This rearrangement can be catalyzed by para-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid and leads to high diastereoselectivities for a range of different chiral propargyl alcohols and ynamides in a stereochemically intriguing matched, mismatched or indifferent manner. The stereoselective Saucy-Marbet rearrangement of ynamides provides an excellent entry to highly substituted chiral homo allenyl alcohols.     

A divergent and stereoselective approach to phenolic 1,7-dihydroxy-bisabolane sesquiterpenes: asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-curcutetraol, (+)-sydonol, (+)-sydonic acid,and (+)-7-O-methylsydonic acid

The combined use of the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, a number of stereospecific chemical transformations, and the 3,5-hexadienoic acid benzannulation protocol allowed us to devise a new, divergent, and stereoselective approach to terpenes with a chiral tertiary hydroxyl group at the ortho-position of a phenol functional group. Accordingly, the natural occurring enantiomeric forms of the bisabolane sesquiterpenes (+)-curcutetraol, (+)-sydonol, (+)-sydonic acid, and (+)-7-O-methylsydonic acid were synthesized with high enantiomeric purity starting from geraniol. The latter two acids were prepared in enantioenriched form for the first time.     

Efficient stereoselective synthesis of a 1-hydroxymethyl-2-methylglycidol derivative

A highly stereoselective synthesis of (2R,3S)-3,4-epoxy-3-methyl-1-(triphenylmethyl)oxybutan-2-ol 3, which is a substructure found in some naturally-occurring bioactive compounds, was achieved starting from commercially available 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol 4 in three steps, using two applications of the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation as the key stereochemistry establishing reactions.