Comments on recent achievements in biomimetic organic synthesis

The appealing beauty of the routes that Nature uses to build natural products is breath taking and the quest for laboratory syntheses that mimic these routes is longstanding. Since Robert Robinson introduced the concept of biomimetic synthesis in 1917, debates have been conducted about the participation of specific enzymes in every step of the biogenesis of every class of natural product. The successful synthesis of many natural products often follows routes analogous to processes that occur in the living cell with minimum enzyme participation. It should not be concluded, however, that we are only able to imitate biogenetic processes in which enzymes are not involved. Perhaps the most appealing facet of a biomimetic strategy is that it pursues the development of synthetic methodology inspired by biogenesis, even if the mimicked biogenetic route is only hypothetical. Improved biogenetic syntheses could be brought about by artificial enzymes that catalyze specific transformations.     

Structure-Pattern-Based Total Synthesis

In this article the concept of structure-pattern-recognition and its application to total synthesis is summarized. By applying this synthetic strategy to the two biogenetically unrelated natural product families Sarpagine and Stemona alkaloids, a drastic increase of synthetic efficiency could be achieved. To highlight its potential, this strategy is compared with some elegant target-oriented syntheses. The importance of strategic planning and synthesis design is clearly demonstrated.     

Formation of Dehydrohexahydroxydiphenoyl Esters by Oxidative Coupling of Galloyl Esters in an Aqueous Medium Involved in Ellagitannin Biosynthesis

Hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP) and dehydrohexahydroxydiphenoyl (DHHDP) groups are the major acyl components of ellagitannins, which are polyphenols whose biosynthesis have attracted considerable attention; however, the mechanisms of the production of HHDP and DHHDP in the ellagitannin biosynthesis have not been clarified. With the aim of elucidating such a mechanism, this study investigates the CuCl₂-mediated oxidation of simple galloyl derivatives in an aqueous medium. It is shown that the oxidation of methyl gallate affords a DHHDP-type dimer, whose reduction with Na₂S₂O₄ yields an HHDP-type dimer. However, the oxidation of the HHDP-type product over CuCl₂ does not afford the parent DHHDP ester. The oxidation of 1,4-butanediol digallate under the same conditions produces a DHHDP-type product via the intramolecular coupling of galloyl groups. These results strongly suggest that the DHHDP group is the initial product of the oxidative coupling of two galloyl groups in the ellagitannin biosynthesis, and subsequent reductive metabolism affords HHDP esters.     

Chemistry and Biology of the Clinically Used Macrolactone Antibiotic Fidaxomicin

Fidaxomicin ( 1 , lipiarmycin A3, clostomicin B1, tiacumicin B) constitutes a glycosylated 18-membered macrolactone and is a natural product isolated from various soil bacteria. Since 2011, fidaxomicin is a marketed antibiotic for the treatment of intestine infections caused by C. difficile in the clinic. Its promising in vitro antibacterial properties against resistant S. aureus and M. tuberculosis continue to attract interest. This review article describes the early history of the antibiotic fidaxomicin and highlights recent advances in the field, such as the elucidation of its mode of action and biosynthesis, as well as known derivatives. Furthermore, different synthetic strategies towards the total synthesis of fidaxomicin are summarized.     

Terpenoid Biosynthesis Off the Beaten Track: Unconventional Cyclases and Their Impact on Biomimetic Synthesis

Terpene and terpenoid cyclizations are counted among the most complex chemical reactions occurring in nature and contribute crucially to the tremendous structural diversity of this largest family of natural products. Many studies were conducted at the chemical, genetic, and biochemical levels to gain mechanistic insights into these intriguing reactions that are catalyzed by terpene and terpenoid cyclases. A myriad of these enzymes have been characterized. Classical textbook knowledge divides terpene/terpenoid cyclases into two major classes according to their structure and reaction mechanism. However, recent discoveries of novel types of terpenoid cyclases illustrate that nature’s enzymatic repertoire is far more diverse than initially thought. This Review outlines novel terpenoid cyclases that are out of the ordinary.     

Chemistry and biology of roseophilin and the prodigiosin alkaloids: a survey of the last 2500 years

The pyrrole alkaloids of the prodigiosin family make up an unusual chapter in the chemistry of natural products. Owing to the characteristic red color of these secondary metabolites, colonies of the Gram-negative-producing bacteria may strikingly resemble droplets of blood. This phenomenon caused considerable confusion in the past and was likely responsible for many seemingly miraculous (prodigious) events. After the eventual transition from superstition to science, the prodigiosins started to attract considerable attention because of their promising physiological properties. Most interesting are the immunosuppressive activities at doses that are not cytotoxic, in particular since in vivo studies suggest that the prodigiosins act synergistically with cyclosporine A or FK 506, which are presently the dominant drugs in clinical immunosuppressive regimens. Furthermore, the chemistry of the closely related and structurally rather unique alkaloid roseophilin is summarized, a cytotoxic agent that recently became the focal point of many innovative total syntheses.     

Highly efficient biomimetic total synthesis and structural verification of bistratamides E and J from Lissoclinum bistratum

The interesting biological activities of heterocycle-containing cyclic peptide-derived natural products, isolated from marine organisms over the past twenty years, have attracted the interest of many synthetic and natural products chemists. Bistratamides E-J, members of this class of natural products that were isolated very recently from Lissoclinum bistratum, exhibited cytotoxic activity against a human colon tumor (HCT-116) cell line. Here we report the first total syntheses of bistratamides E (1) and J (2) in overall yields of 19 and 34 %, respectively. The thiazole substructures have been synthesized by oxidation of their corresponding thiazoline substructures, which were obtained from cysteine containing peptides using a novel biomimetic approach wherein Val-Cys dipeptide units were converted to thiazolines by a bisphosphonium salt. The final macrocyclization was promoted efficiently using the combination of PyBOP and DMAP. This approach allows the use of readily available Fmoc-protected amino acids to make complex thiazole and oxazoline-containing natural products.     

Chemistry and biology of terpene trilactones from Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba, the ginkgo tree, is the oldest living tree, with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, the leaf extracts have been widely sold as phytomedicine in Europe and as a dietary supplement worldwide. Effects of Ginkgo biloba extracts have been postulated to include improvement of memory, increased blood circulation, as well as beneficial effects to sufferers of Alzheimer's disease. The most unique components of the extracts are the terpene trilactones, that is, ginkgolides and bilobalide. These structurally complex molecules have been attractive targets for total synthesis. Terpene trilactones are believed to be partly responsible for the neuromodulatory properties of Ginkgo biloba extracts, and several biological effects of the terpene trilactones have been discovered in recent years, making them attractive pharmacological tools that could provide insight into the effects of Ginkgo biloba extracts.     

Divergent Biomimetic Total Syntheses of Ganocins A–C,Ganocochlearins C and D,and Cochlearol T

A divergent synthetic approach to six Ganoderma meroterpenoids, namely ganocins A–C, ganocochlearins C and D, and cochlearol T, has been developed for the first time. This synthetic route features a two‐phase strategy which includes early‐stage rapid construction of a common planar tricyclic intermediate followed by highly selective late‐stage transformations into various Ganoderma meroterpenoids. Key to the strategy are a bioinspired intramolecular hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction and Stahl‐type oxidative aromatization, allowing efficient formation of the common tricyclic phenol intermediate. A nucleophilic dearomatization of the phenol unit, combined with a regioselective 1,4‐reduction of the resulting dienone, enabled rapid access to ganocins B and C. Additionally, site‐selective Mukaiyama hydration, followed by an intramolecular oxa‐Michael addition/triflation cascade, served as a key strategic element in the chemical synthesis of ganocin A.