Production of epoxydammaranes by the enzymatic reactions of (3R)- and (3S)-2,3-squalene diols and those of 2,3:22,23-dioxidosqualenes with recombinant squalene cyclase and the mechanistic insight into the polycyclization reactions

The enzymatic cyclizations of (3R)- and (3S)-2,3-squalene diols by squalene cyclase afforded bicyclic compounds and epoxydamamranes in a ca. 3 : 2 ratio. Formation of the epoxydammarane scaffold indicates that a 6/6/6/5-fused tetracyclic cation is involved as the intermediate in the polycyclization reaction. 2,3:22,23-Dioxidosqualenes also afforded an epoxydammarane skeleton, i.e., 3alpha- or 3beta-hydroxyepoxydammaranes, but the amount of bicyclic compounds produced was markedly lower than that of the squalene diols, indicating that the larger steric bulk of the diols had a more significant influence on the polycyclization pathway than the smaller bulk of the expoxide. All the epoxydammaranes had 17R,20R stereochemistry except for one product, demonstrating that these analogs were folded into an all-chair conformation in the reaction cavity. The mechanistic insight into the observed stereochemical specificities indicated that the organized all-chair conformation is rigidly constricted by squalene cyclase and, thus, free conformational change is not allowed inside the reaction cavity; a small rotation of the hydroxyl group or the epoxide toward the intermediary cation gave a high yield of the enzymatic products, while a large rotation led to a low yield of the product. The stereochemistries of the generated epoxydammaranes are opposite to those from natural sources, and thus almost all of the enzymatic products described here are novel.     

A novel strategy for the chiral 2,4,5-triol moiety and its application to the synthesis of seimatopolide A and (2S,3R,5S)-(−)-2,3-dihydroxytetradecan-5-olide

A highly stereoselective approach to the total synthesis of seimatopolide A and (2S,3R,5S)-(−)-2,3-dihydroxytetradecan-5-olide is described via a common polyketide precursor by means of Prins reaction and MacMillan aminoxylation sequence.     

Squalene-hopene cyclase: final deprotonation reaction, conformational analysis for the cyclization of (3R,S)-2,3-oxidosqualene and further evidence for the requirement of an isopropylidene moiety both for initiation of the polycyclization cascade and for the formation of the 5-membered E-ring

To provide insight into the polycyclization mechanism of squalene by squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) from Alicyclobacilus acidocaldarius, some analogs of nor- and bisnorsqualenes were synthesized including the deuterium-labeled squalenes and incubated with the wild-type SHC, leading to the following inferences. (1) The deprotonation reaction for the introduction of the double bond of the hopene skeleton occurs exclusively from the Z-methyl group on the terminal double bond of squalene. (2) 3R-Oxidosqualene was folded in a boat conformation for the A-ring construction, while the 3S-form was in a chair structure. (3) The terminal two methyl groups are indispensable both for the formation of the 5-membered E-ring of the hopene skeleton and for the initiation of the polycyclization cascade, but the terminal Z-methyl group has a more crucial role for the construction of the 5-membered E-ring than the E-methyl group. (4) Some of the novel terpene skeletons, 36, 37, 39 and 40, were created from the analogs employed in this investigation.     

Asymmetric epoxidation of hydrocarbon olefins by tert-butyl hydroperoxide with molybdenum(VI) catalysts in the presence of optically active diols. Application to the asymmetric synthesis of (3S)-2,3-oxidosqualene

Catalytic enantioselective epoxidation of prochiral olefins without functional groups was achieved by $\text{tert}$-BuOOH using Mo(O)₂(acac)₂-optically active diols as catalysts.     

β‐Amyrin Biosynthesis: The Methyl‐30 Group of (3S)‐2,3‐Oxidosqualene Is More Critical to Its Correct Folding To Generate the Pentacyclic Scaffold than the Methyl‐24 Group

Oxidosqualene cyclases catalyze the transformation of oxidosqualene ( 1 ) into numerous cyclic triterpenes. Enzymatic reactions of 24‐noroxidosqualene ( 8 ) and 30‐noroxidosqualene ( 9 ) with Euphorbia tirucalli β‐amyrin synthase were conducted to examine the role of the branched methyl groups of compound 1 in the β‐amyrin biosynthesis. Substrate 8 almost exclusively afforded 30‐nor‐β‐amyrin (>95.5 %), which was produced through a normal cyclization pathway, along with minor products (<4.5 %). However, a lack of the Me‐30 group (analogue 9 ) resulted in significantly high production of premature cyclization products, including 6/6/6/5‐fused tetracyclic and 6/6/6/6/5‐fused pentacyclic skeletons (64.6 %). In addition, the fully cyclized product (35.4 %) having the 6/6/6/6/6‐fused pentacycle was produced; however, the normally cyclized product, 29‐nor‐β‐amyrin was present in only 18.6 % of these products. The conversion yield of substrate 8 possessing a Z‐Me group at the terminus was approximately twofold greater than that of compound 9 with an E‐Me group. Thus, the Me‐30 group is essential for the correct folding of a chair–chair–chair–boat–boat conformation of compound 1 for the production of the β‐amyrin scaffold, whereas the Me‐24 group exerts little influence on the normal polycyclization cascade. Here, we show that the Me‐30 group plays critical roles in constructing the ordered architecture of a chair–chair–chair–boat–boat structure, in facilitating the ring‐expansion reactions, and in performing the final deprotonation reaction at the correct position.     

Reinvestigation of the Nazarov cyclization of 1-(3-hydroxypropynyl)cyclododecan-1-ol to bicyclo[10.3.0]pentadec-1(12)-en-13-one

Reinvestigation of the acid-catalyzed cyclization of 1-(3-hydroxypropynyl)cyclododecan-1-ol under the conditions of the Nazarov reaction demonstrated that this conversion yields two isomeric bicyclic ketones, namely, bicyclo[10.3.0]pentadec-1(12)-en-13-one and bicyclo[10.3.0]pentadec-1-en-3-one. The latter compound is thermodynamically less stable. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1325–1327, July, 1997.     

N-acetyl-N'-methylamide derivative of (2S,3S)-1-amino-2,3-diphenylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid: theoretical analysis of the conformational impact produced by the incorporation of the second phenyl group to the cyclopropane analogue of phenylalanine

The intrinsic conformational preferences of (2S,3S)-1-amino-2,3-diphenylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid, a phenylalanine cyclopropane analogue bearing two phenyl substituents, have been examined theoretically. For this purpose, its N-acetyl-N'-methylamide derivative, Ac-(2S,3S)c(3)diPhe-NHMe, has been investigated by using ab initio HF and DFT methods. Results have been compared with those previously reported for other cyclopropane analogues of phenylalanine, and with experimental data available for c(3)diPhe-containing peptides.     

New synthetic route to the important (S)-5-(1-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl)-2-methylthiophene-3-carboxylic acid intermediate for the synthesis of a novel glucokinase activator

To obtain an efficient and practical route to a novel glucokinase activator, we investigated a novel synthetic method for the preparation of its key intermediate (S)-5-(1-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl)-2-methylthiophene-3-carboxylic acid through the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of a pyrroline derivative. The hydrogenation of this pyrroline derivative using the iridium (III)-prolinamide complex Cp*IrCl[(R)-PA] at atmospheric pressure provided an initial intermediate in approximately 50% ee. Further purification via recrystallization provided the desired key intermediate in an excellent enantiopurity, which was applicable to practical use.     

Structural studies of Cu(II) binding to the novel peptidyl derivative of quinoxaline: N-(3-(2,3-di(pyridin-2-yl)quinoxalin-6-yl)alanyl)glycine

The coordination properties of the novel conjugate towards copper ions were investigated. The performed studies exhibited the unusual binding properties of the ligand molecule having two potential strong coordination sites, namely dipeptidic chain and pyridyl nitrogens. On the basis of potentiometric and spectroscopic studies the binding at the low pH values to the aromatic entity is suggested, while the rise of pH (including physiological one) yielded the dimeric head-to-tail complex formation. This stable species possesses three nitrogen donors involved in Cu(II) chelation: N(pirydyl), NH₂ and N⁻(amide).     

A new efficient route to chiral 1,3-disubstituted ferrocenes: application to the syntheses of (R(p))- and (S(p))-17alpha-[(3'-formylferrocenyl)ethynyl]estradiol

Starting from (2S,4S)-2-ferrocenyl-4-(methoxymethyl)-1,3-dioxane (4), use of the stereogenic ortho-directing menthyl para-tolyl sulfoxide group, which occupies the 2' position in the ferrocenyl ring and redirects subsequent lithiation to the 3' position, allowed the synthesis of optically pure (S(p))-1-formyl-3-iodoferrocene (8), that was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Combination of this method with a protection-deprotection strategy, using trimethylsilyl as a temporary blocking group, yielded (R(p))-1-formyl-3-iodoferrocene (13). Separate Sonogashira coupling of each of the enantiomeric iodoformylferrocenes 8 and 13 with 17alpha-ethynyl-estradiol produced (R(p))-17alpha-[(3'-formylferrocenyl)ethynyl]estradiol (14) and (S(p))-17alpha-[(3'-formylferrocenyl)ethynyl]estradiol (15), respectively.     

A new route to the versatile synthesis of thiopyrano[2,3-b:6,5-b′]diindoles via 2-(alkylthio)-indole-3-carbaldehydes

A versatile synthesis of symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted thiopyrano[2,3-b:6,5-b′]diindoles has been developed by the condensation of 2-(alkylthio)-indole-3-carbaldehydes with indoline-2-thiones in the presence of catalytic amount of ethylenediamine diacetate (EDDA). The EDDA mediated condensation leads to a spontaneous cyclization followed by aromatization to form thiopyrano[2,3-b:6,5-b′]diindoles in quantitative yields.     

New insights into the mechanism of proton transfer to hydride complexes: kinetic and theoretical evidence showing the existence of competitive pathways for protonation of the cluster [W3S4H3(dmpe)3]+ with acids

The reaction of the hydride cluster [W3S4H3(dmpe)3]+ (1, dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane) with acids (HCl, CF3COOH, HBF4) in CH2Cl2 solution under pseudo-first-order conditions of excess acid occurs with three kinetically distinguishable steps that can be interpreted as corresponding to successive formal substitution processes of the coordinated hydrides by the anion of the acid (HCl, CF3COOH) or the solvent (HBF4). Whereas the rate law for the third step changes with the nature of the acid, the first two kinetic steps always show a second-order dependence on acid concentration. In contrast, a single kinetic step with a first-order dependence with respect to the acid is observed when the experiments are carried out with a deficit of acid. The decrease in the T1 values for the hydride NMR signal of 1 in the presence of added HCl suggests the formation of an adduct with a W-H...H-Cl dihydrogen bond. Theoretical calculations for the reaction with HCl indicate that the kinetic results in CH2Cl2 solution can be interpreted on the basis of a mechanism with two competitive pathways. One of the pathways consists of direct proton transfer within the W-H...H-Cl adduct to form W-Cl and H2, whereas the other requires the presence of a second HCl molecule to form a W-H...H-Cl...H-Cl adduct that transforms into W-Cl, H2 and HCl in the rate-determining step. The activation barriers and the structures of the transition states for both pathways were also calculated, and the results indicate that both pathways can be competitive and that the transition states can be described in both cases as a dihydrogen complex hydrogen-bonded to Cl- or HCl2(-).     

Study of the behavior of p-bis{3-[N,N-dialkyl-N-(4-hydroxybut-2-ynyl)ammonio]prop-2-ynyl}-benzene dichlorides in relation to aqueous alkali. Double intramolecular recyclization of benzo[5,6;5′,6′-a,c]di(2,2-dialkyl-4-hydroxymethyl)isoindolinium dichlorides

p-Bis{3-[N,N-dialkyl-N-(4-hydroxybut-2-ynyl)ammonio]prop-2-ynyl}benzene dichloride in the presence of catalytic amounts of aqueous alkali is subject to a double intramolecular cyclization forming benzo[5,6;5′,6′-a,c]di(2,2-dialkyl-4-hydroxymethyl)isoindolinium dichloride in 40–42% yield. Simultaneously an intramolecular recyclization takes place with the formation of dialkyl(6-dialkylaminomethyl-7,9,10,12-tetrahydro-8,11-dioxadicyclopenta[c,g]phenanthren-1-ylmethyl)amines in 7–9% yield. The same compounds are obtained in 70–72% yield by the recyclization of benzo[5,6;5′,6′-a,c]di(2,2-dialkyl-4-hydroxymethyl)isoindolinium dichlorides under conditions of aqueous alkaline degradation. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 9, pp. 1329–1335, September, 2006.     

Cascade assembly of N,N′-dialkylbarbituric acids and aldehydes: a simple and efficient one-pot approach to the substituted 1,5-dihydro-2H,2′H-spiro(furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6,5′-pyrimidine)-2,2′,4,4′,6′(1′H,3H,3′H)-pentone framework

Cascade assembly of N,N′-dialkylbarbituric acids and aldehydes in the presence of bromine leads to the selective and efficient formation of substituted 1,5-dihydro-2H,2′H-spiro(furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6,5′-pyrimidine)-2,2′,4,4′,6′-(1′H,3H,3′H)-pentones in 70-88% yields via a complex cascade process. Spirobarbiturates containing the furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine framework are a class of compounds with interesting pharmacological and physiological activity.