One-pot synthesis of macrocyclic compounds possessing two cyclobutane rings by sequential inter- and intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions

Sensitized photocycloaddition reactions of 6,6′-dimethyl-4,4′-[1,3-bis(methylenoxy)phenylene]-di-2-pyrone (1) with electron-poor α,ω-diolefins such as ethylene diacrylate (2a) and polyoxyethylene dimethacrylates (2b-d) afforded site- and stereoselective macrocyclic dioxatetralactones (3a-d) and (4b) having 18- to 25-membered rings across the C5-C6 and C5′-C6′ double bonds, or C5-C6 and C3′-C4′ double bonds in 1, respectively. Similar photoreactions of 1 with electron-rich α,ω-diolefins such as poly(ethylene glycol)divinyl ether (2e and 2f) afforded crown ether-type macrocyclic compounds (5e and 5f) having 18- and 21-membered rings across the C3-C4 and C3′-C4′ double bonds in 1, respectively. The stereochemical features of 3b, 5e-xx, and 5e-nn were determined by the X-ray crystal analysis. The reaction mechanism was inferred by MO methods.     

Stereoselective preparation of trisubstituted (Z)-alkenes; synthesis of the C17-C27 fragment of (−)-laulimalide

A Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of (Z)-5-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)oxy-3-bromo-1-trimethylsilyl-3-penten-1-yne (1) with alkyl Grignard reagent gives (Z)-3-alkyl-5-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)oxy-1-trimethylsilyl-3-penten-1-ynes (2) stereospecifically in good yields. The (Z)-enyne 2a is transformed in four steps to (Z)-3-methyl-5-silyloxy-3-pentenal (3), which is coupled with ketophosphonate 4 to give enone 13. The η-hydroxyallyl methanesulfonate derived from 13 is cyclized to 3,6-dihydro[2H]pyran by an intramolecular SN2′ reaction stereoselectively, furnishing a C17-C27 carbon unit of (−)-laulimalide.     

Synthesis of the C9-C29 fragments of ajudazols A and B

The syntheses of both C9-C29 fragments 3 and 4 of the myxobacteria metabolites ajudazols A (1) and B (2) are described. The key steps were a cyclodehydration to form the oxazole, Sonogashira coupling to form the C18-C19 bond and a P-2 Ni mediated partial alkyne hydrogenation to install the C17-C18 Z-alkene. The C15 alkene in the ajudazol A fragment 3 was introduced in the final steps by elimination of the corresponding primary alcohol.     

Studies on the Synthesis of Reidispongiolide A: Stereoselective Synthesis of the C(22)-C(36) Fragment

A highly stereoselective synthesis of the C(22)-C(36) fragment 2 of reidispongiolide A is described. This synthesis features the highly stereoselective mismatched double asymmetric crotylboration reaction of the aldehyde derived from 5 and the new chiral reagent (S)-(E)-7 that provides 12 with >15:1 dr. Subsequent coupling of the derived vinyl iodide 3 with aldehyde 16 provided allylic alcohol 17, that was elaborated by three steps into the targeted reidispongiolide fragment 2.     

Development of a Double Allylboration Reagent Targeting 1,5-syn-(E)-Diols: Application to the Synthesis of the C(23)-C(40) Fragment of Tetrafibricin

Interest in the synthesis of the C(23)-C(40) fragment 2 of tetrafibricin prompted us to develop a new method for the synthesis of 1,5-syn-(E)-diols. Toward this end, the kinetically controlled hydroboration of allenes 6, 33, ent-39, 42, and 45 with the Soderquist borane 25R were studied. Tetrabutylammonium allenyltrifluoroborate 45 gave superior results and was utilized in a double allylboration sequence with two different aldehydes to provide the targeted 1,5-syn-(E)-diols in generally high yields (72-98%), and with high enantioselectivity (>95% ee), diastereoselectivity (dr >20:1), and (E)/(Z) selectivity (>20:1). This new method was applied to the synthesis of the C(23)-C(40) fragment 2 of tetrafibricin.     

Enantioselective synthesis of aurisides A and B, cytotoxic macrolide glycosides of marine origin

The enantioselective synthesis of aurisides A and B, macrolide glycosides of marine origin, was achieved by a convergent approach. The C1-C9 segment 4 was prepared from (R)-pantolactone, and the C10-C17 segment 14 was synthesized from (R)-glycidyl trityl ether. The Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction between 4 and 14 and subsequent reactions gave seco acid 10, which was converted into the aglycon (3) of aurisides by construction of the 14-membered lactone and bromine-substituted conjugated diene. The glycosylation reaction of the aglycon provided aurisides A and B.     

Synthetic studies on reidispongiolide A, an actin-depolymerizing marine macrolide: synthesis of C11-C22 and C23-C35 segments

The C11-C22 and C23-C35 segments 2 and 3 of reidispongiolide A (1), an actin-depolymerizing marine macrolide, were synthesized enantioselectively in 12 steps from (R)-glycidyl trityl ether and in 12 steps from chiral ketone 15, respectively.     

Domino routes to substituted benzoindolizines: tandem reorganization of 1,3-dipolar cycloadducts of nitrones with allenic esters/ketones and alternative cycloaddition-palladium catalyzed cyclization pathway

Reactions of C-(4-oxo-4H[1]benzopyran-3-yl)-N-phenyl nitrones (7) with allenic esters (8a-c) and allenic ketones (18a-d) furnish benzoindolizines (9a-k, 19a-d) in good yields. The formation of benzoindolizines is postulated to involve regioselective addition of 1,3-dipole to C2-C3 π bond of allenic esters/ketones followed by domino transformation of the cycloadducts, which involve an intramolecular aza Diels-Alder reaction in the intermediate C. DFT calculations of various parameters for diene and dienophile components in the proposed intermediate C have revealed that conformational constraints imposed by the alkyl groups (R=Me, Et) favor intramolecular aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition. An alternative domino route to benzoindolizines (9a,d,g) involving sequential one-pot cycloaddition of azadienes (22a-c) with silyl-enol ether (23) followed by palladium(0)-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction has also been developed. Both these approaches represent novel domino routes for the synthesis of benzoindolizines.     

Kehokorins A-C, novel cytotoxic dibenzofurans isolated from the myxomycete Trichia favoginea var. persimilis

Kehokorins A (1)-C (3), three novel dibenzofurans, have been isolated from field-collected fruit bodies of the myxomycete, Trichia favoginea var. persimilis, and their structures were elucidated by spectral data. Kehokorin A (1) was a α-l-rhamnopyranoside of kehokorin B (2), while kehokorin C (3) was a 1-demethoxy analog of 2. Kehokorin A (1) was cytotoxic against HeLa cells with an IC₅₀ value of 1.5 μg/mL.     

Synthetic studies of incednine: synthesis of C1-C13 pentaenoic acid segment

Stereoselective synthesis of the C1-C13 pentaenoic acid segment (4) of the novel antibiotic incednine (1) is described.     

Methyl 3-bromomethyl-3-butenoate as an isopentane building block for the stereoselective preparation of (S)-4-methyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-carbaldehyde and (+)-faranal

(S)-4-Methyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-carbaldehyde (3), the common intermediate in the syntheses of the C17-C27 subunit of laulimalide (4) and (+)-faranal (5), the trail pheromone of the pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis, were obtained via transformation of methyl 3-bromomethyl-3-butenoate (1) into allylstannane 2 and subsequent allylation of (benzyloxy)acetaldehyde (6) in accordance with the Keck procedure as the key steps.     

Flash vacuum thermolysis generation and a UV-photoelectron spectroscopy study of the N-substituted iminoacetonitriles

Flash vacuum thermolysis of cis and trans 1-benzyl and 1-allyl-2-cyano-3-phenylzetidines (1a and 1b) at 470 °C resulted in the formation of E and Z isomers of N-benzyl and N-allyl iminoacetonitriles 2a and 2b, respectively, beside small amounts of products 3a and 3b of their [1,3] prototropic shifts. It was found that the thermal fragmentation of the azetidine ring occurred fully regioselectively with a cleavage of the C2-C3 and C4-N bonds, but not the N-C2 and C3-C4 bonds. The UV-photoelectron spectrum of compound 2b was measured and analyzed with the aid of quantum chemical calculations of ionization energies. The strong modification of the electronic structure of the simplest carbon-nitrogen double bond upon the α,β substitution is due to the combined electron-withdrawing effect of the nitrile group and the donor effect of the allyl group.     

Synthesis and structural determination of the C33-C42 fragment of symbiodinolide

Symbiodinolide (1) is a polyol macrolide with a molecular weight of 2859 mu. As one of the degradation reactions, cross-metathesis of 2, which is a methyl ester of 1, with ethylene was performed to give the C33-C42 degraded fragment 4. The absolute configuration of 4 was estimated to be (36S,40S) by Mosher method. Stereoselective synthesis of 4 was achieved in 14 steps from l-aspartic acid. Synthetic bis-(S)- and (R)-MTPA esters exhibited the spectroscopic data identical with those of bis-(S)- and (R)-MTPA esters derived from the degraded fragment 4. Thus, the absolute stereochemistry of 4 was elucidated to be (36S,40S).     

Synthetic studies on apoptolidin: synthesis of the C12-C28 fragment via a highly stereoselective aldol reaction

The stereoselective and convergent synthesis of the C12-C28 segment 2 of the apoptosis inducing macrolide antibiotic, apoptolidin (1), is described. The synthesis involves a highly stereoselective tin(II)-mediated aldol reaction between the C17-C22 ethyl ketone 3 and the C23-C28 aldehyde 4 as the key step.     

5,10:13,14-Disecosteroids: novel modified steroids containing 10- and 9-membered rings

In this paper a synthetic pathway to the modified 5,10:13,14-bisfragmentation cholestane derivatives 8-14 is described. The synthesis involves introduction of the 5α- and 14α-hydroxyl groups in the cholestane molecule and subsequent cleavage of the C(5)-C(10) bond in 5α,14α-dihydroxycholestan-3β-yl acetate (4) with the HgO/I₂ reagent and the C(13)-C(14) bond in the stereoisomeric 14α-hydroxy-5,10-secosteroids 5 and 6 with the Pb(OAc)₄/I₂ reagent. Complete and unambiguous ¹H and ¹³C NMR resonance assignments of the obtained secosteroids, as well as the solution conformations of their 10- and 9-membered rings were determined by extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectral data. The structures and the solid-state conformations of 5,10-secosteroids 5-7 were confirmed by X-ray analysis. All diseco-compounds have a novel 5,10:13,14-disecocholestane skeleton.     

Rifamycin antibiotics—new compounds and synthetic methods. Part 1: Study of the reaction of 3-formylrifamycin SV with primary alkylamines or ammonia

Within the study covering the search for new methods of synthesis of rifamycin antibiotics, the reactions of 3-formylrifamycin SV (2) with primary amines or ammonia were studied. In the reaction of 2 with methylamine, unstable 3-methyliminomethylrifamycin SV (8) was formed, which was further oxidised to stable 3-methyliminomethylrifamycin S (9). In the reaction of 2 with ammonia, N,15-didehydro-15-deoxo-pyrimido-(4,5-b)rifamycin SV (10), a new compound with a chromophore system enlarged by a pyrimidine ring, was obtained. The product of its reduction with sodium borohydride—(11)—was also isolated. The structures of the compounds and an explanation of the synthesis mechanism have been proposed on the basis of mass spectrometry results as well as (1D) and (2D) ¹H- and ¹³C NMR analysis. In vitro antituberculous activity of the new compounds have been investigated.     

Bioactive meroditerpenes and indole alkaloids from the soil fungus Neosartorya fischeri (KUFC 6344), and the marine-derived fungi Neosartorya laciniosa (KUFC 7896) and Neosartorya tsunodae (KUFC 9213)

Two new metabolites including a new aszonalenin analogue (1c) and a new meroditerpene (3) were isolated, together with aszonalenin (1a), acetylaszonalenin (1b), 13-oxofumitremorgin B (2), aszonapyrone A (4b) and helvolic acid, from the culture of the soil fungus Neosartorya fischeri (KUFC 6344). While the ethyl acetate extract of the culture of the diseased coral-derived fungus Neosartorya laciniosa (KUFC 7896) furnished aszonapyrone B (4a), aszonapyrone A (4b), tryptoquivaline L and 3′-(4-oxoquinazolin-3-yl) spiro[1H-indole-3,5′-oxolane]-2,2′-dione, the ethyl acetate extract of the culture of the marine sponge-associated fungus Neosartorya tsunodae (KUFC 9213) yielded a new analogue of chevalone C (5) and helvolic acid. The structures of the new compounds were established based on 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis as well as HR-ESIMS. Compounds 1a–c, 2, 3, 4a, 4b and 5 were evaluated for their in vitro growth inhibitory activity on the MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and A375-C5 (melanoma) cell lines by the protein binding dye SRB method.     

Synthesis of the C(1)-C(16) fragment of bryostatins using an ‘ene’ reaction between an allylsilane and an alkynone

The zinc(II) iodide mediated ‘ene’ reaction between (4R)-4,5-bis-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-2-(trimethylsilylmethyl)pent-1-ene (43) and (5S,7R,9S)-5,11-dibenzyloxy-4,4-dimethyl-7,9-dihydroxy-7,9-O-isopropylideneundec-1-yn-3-one (53) gave the (E)-vinylsilane 54 with excellent stereoselectivity. Simultaneous deprotection and cyclisation via a stereoselective oxy-Michael reaction gave the bicyclic acetal 57 after treatment with trimethyl orthoformate. A synthesis of the ester 60 corresponding to the C(1)-C(16) fragment of the bryostatins was then completed by O-silylation, oxidative cleavage of the methylene group and a stereoselective condensation of the resulting ketone 59 with the chiral phosphonate 61.     

Synthesis, conformation and PKC isozyme surrogate binding of indolinelactam-Vs, new conformationally restricted analogues of (−)-indolactam-V

New conformationally restricted analogues of tumor promoter (−)-indolactam-V (1), indolinelactam-Vs (8, 11) and their hexyl derivatives at position 1 or 7 (9, 10, 12, 13), were synthesized from 1. (3R)-Indolinelactam-V (8) adopted a conformation similar to the twist form of 1 with a cis amide, while the conformation of (3S)-indolinelactam-V (11) was close to that of the sofa form of 1 with a trans amide. 7-Hexyl derivatives of 8 and 11 (10, 13) showed binding affinities for C1 domains of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes compared to 1, but exhibited little selectivity among these PKC isozymes. However, introduction of the hexyl group at position 1 of 8 and 11 significantly enhanced their binding selectivity for novel PKC isozymes. The best selectivity for novel PKC isozymes was observed in (3S)-1-hexylindolinelactam-V (12) with a sofa-like conformation. These results suggest that a sofa-restricted analogue of 1 with a hydrophobic chain at an appropriate position would be a promising lead for designing agents with a high selectivity for novel PKC isozymes.     

Synthesis of the C42-C52 part of ciguatoxin CTX3C

The C42-C52 part of ciguatoxin CTX3C (1) was synthesized from tri-O-acetyl d-glucal. The synthetic segment had a tetrahydropyran ring corresponding to the ‘C49-reduced’ L-ring of 1, designed to avoid side reactions due to acid-labile C49 acetal carbon during acidic reductive conditions planned in further synthesis toward 1. The vicinal dimethyl part at C47-C48 was constructed by a stepwise conjugate addition/methylation procedure. The C50-C52 unit was installed by Grignard addition of the C₃ unit followed by spirocyclization and reductive cleavage of the spirocyclic acetal. Stereoselective assembly of the C42-C44 part was achieved by Brown’s asymmetric crotylboration.