Chemoenzymatic synthesis of prodigiosin analogues--exploring the substrate specificity of PigC

Analogues of prodigiosin, a tripyrrolic pigment produced by Serratia species with potent immunosuppressive and anticancer activities, have been produced by feeding synthetic analogues of the normal precursor MBC to mutants of Serratia sp. ATCC 39006 or to engineered strains of Escherichia coli; in this way it has been shown that the prodigiosin synthesising enzyme, PigC, has a relaxed substrate-specificity.     

Total synthesis of himandravine

[reaction: see text] The first total synthesis of (+)-himandravine (1) is described, starting from (2S,6S)-cis-2-formyl-6-methyl-N-Boc-piperidine (8) in 11 linear steps and 17% overall yield. The key step involves a highly diastereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of the key intermediate 5 that contains the entire latent carbon framework and functional group substitution of himandravine.     

Total synthesis of cis-solamin

[structure: see text] A convergent total synthesis of cis-solamin and its diastereomer was accomplished using VO(acac)2-catalyzed diastereoselective epoxidation followed by cyclization of bis-homoallylic alcohol as the key step. By comparison of the optical rotation of two possible diastereomers, it is suggested that the absolute configuration of natural cis-solamin is 1a.     

Total synthesis of fuzinoside

The first total syntheses of fuzinoside (1b) were achieved from d-galactose through two strategies (BCA and ABC) in 11 (total yield: 5.0%) and 15 (total yield: 3.7%) steps, respectively. Comparison of NMR data of synthetic compound 1b and those of the fuzinoside isolated from the lateral roots of Aconitum carmicaelii suggests that the structure reported in the literature ^1 and 2 might not be accurate. The synthetic fuzinoside (1b) exhibited moderate cardiac activity in the isolated bullfrog heart assay.     

Total synthesis of gymnocin-A

A highly convergent total synthesis of gymnocin-A, a cyctotoxic polyether marine natural product, has been achieved. The synthesis features Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the ABCD and FGHIJKLMN rings, stereoselective introduction of the C17 hydroxyl group, ring-closure of the F ring, and a late-stage incorporation of a 2-methyl-2-butenal side chain.     

Total synthesis of dysiherbaine

A convergent total synthesis of the marine natural product dysiherbaine was accomplished. The key steps of the synthesis are an alkylation at the gamma-carbon of a protected glutamate with a highly substituted pyran derived from mannose, which was followed by a ring-contraction cascade reaction, which simultaneously gave the tetrasubstituted carbon and the hexahydrofuro[3,2-b]pyran ring system of the natural product.     

Total synthesis of brevetoxin-B

Brevetoxin-B (BTX-B), produced by the red tide organism, Gymnodium breve Davis, is the first member of marine polycyclic ethers to be structurally elucidated and one of the most potent neurotoxins. The structural feature is a trans-fused polycyclic ether ring system with 23 stereocenters. Its unique, complex structure and potent biological activity have attracted the attention of synthetic organic chemists. Total synthesis of BTX-B has been accomplished via the coupling of the ABCDEFG and IJK-ring segments, each ether ring of which was stereoselectively and efficiently constructed on the basis of SmI2-induced intramolecular cyclization, 6-endo-cyclization of hydroxy epoxide, ring-closing olefin metathesis, and SmI2-induced intramolecular Reformatsky-type reaction. Several kinds of double reactions at the left and right sides were efficiently used through the synthesis.     

Total synthesis of ingenol

A total synthesis of the biologically important diterpene ingenol has been completed. Ring-closing olefin metathesis was used to construct the strained "inside-outside" tetracyclic skeleton, and a series of diastereoselective reactions were employed to complete the synthesis. Another naturally occurring ingenane, 20-deoxyingenol, has also been prepared.     

Total synthesis of gambierol

[structure: see text] The first total synthesis of gambierol, a marine polycyclic ether toxin, has been achieved. The synthesis features the Pd(PPh3)4/CuCl/LiCl-promoted Stille coupling for the stereoselective construction of the sensitive triene side chain that includes a conjugated (Z,Z)-diene moiety.     

Total synthesis of pleurolactone

The stereoselective total synthesis of pleurolactone has been accomplished in 7 steps. The key synthetic features were the construction of four contiguous stereocenters using an endo-selective Diels-Alder reaction and high diastereoselective dihydroxylation.     

Total synthesis of TMS-ent-bisabolangelone

The absolute configuration of bisabolangelone has been established by an eleven step total synthesis of the corresponding TMS protected antipode starting from (R)-(+)-pulegone. Comparison of the TMS-derivatives by GC on a chiral column, allowed us to assign the absolute configuration of the synthetic compound and thus of the corresponding natural product. The latter has been confirmed by the Mosher's ester analysis of the known secondary carbinol derivative.     

Total synthesis of tylosin

Tylosin has been synthesized byregio- and stereoselective introduction of the amino disaccharide moiety and D-mycinose onto the previously synthesized 16-membered-ring aglycone.     

Total synthesis of panepophenanthrin

[reaction: see text] The biomimetic synthesis of the racemic dimer panepophenanthrin was achieved in good yield employing a tandem reaction sequence.     

Total synthesis of coraxeniolide-A

The first total synthesis of optically active coraxeniolide-A (1a) and 4-epi-coraxeniolide-A (1b) is described. The approach is highly stereoselective and flexible in the preparation of a wide variety of members of the xeniolide family. The use of the Grob-fragmentation was pivotal for the stereospecific elaboration of the nine-membered ring. Coraxeniolide-A (1a) was synthesized in 28 steps by using the Hajos-Parrish diketone 2 as starting material which is available enantiomerically pure.     

Total synthesis of crotophorbolone

As a natural diterpenoid, crotophorbolone possesses a challenging trans,trans-5/7/6 framework decorated with six contiguous stereogenic centers and is structurally and biogenetically related to tigliane-type diterpenoids with intriguing bioactivities such as phorbol and prostratin. Based on the convergent strategy, we completed an eighteen-step total synthesis of crotophorbolone starting from (−)-carvone and (+)-dimethyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-l-tartrate. The key elements of the synthesis involve expedient installation of the six-membered ring and the five-membered ring with multiple functional groups at an early stage, cyclization of the seven-membered ring through alkenylation of the ketone between the five-membered ring and the six-membered ring, functional group-sensitive ring-closing metathesis and final selective introduction of hydroxyls at C₂₀ and C₄.

Convergent total synthesis of crotophorbolone was accomplished in 18 longest linear steps. Observation of unexpected thermodynamic stability of a cis,trans-5/7/6 tricycle would benefit synthetic design of tigliane- and daphnane-related diterpenoids.