Total synthesis of cyercene A and the biomimetic synthesis of (±)-9,10-deoxytridachione and (±)-ocellapyrone A

This paper summarises our detailed study towards the biomimetic synthesis of the complex polypropionate derived natural product (±)-9,10-deoxytridachione. A previous study based on the elaboration of functionalised γ-pyrones allowed us to synthesise cyercene A. The same efficient methodology has been applied for the elaboration of a more complex fully conjugated γ-pyrone polyene. Our approach centred on a key tandem Suzuki-coupling/electrocyclisation reaction, which supports a possible biosynthetic pathway for this class of natural products. A related compound was obtained during our studies, which we identified as the correct structure of ocellapyrone A.     

Biomimetic synthesis of (+/-)-9,10-deoxytridachione

A tandem Suzuki-coupling/electrocyclisation reaction sequence was employed for the biomimetic synthesis of (+/-)-9,10-deoxytridachione.     

Photosensitized conversion of 9,10-deoxytridachione to photodeoxytridachione

[reaction: see text] The photochemical conversion of 9,10-deoxytridachione to photodeoxytridachione has been photosensitized. The conversion was also quenched by piperylene. Photodeoxytridachione was produced in good yields under conditions in which only the cyclohexadiene group is sensitized. The results show that some, and perhaps all, of the photoreactions of 9,10-deoxytridachione occur through a triplet excited state. The mechanistic and biosynthetic implications of these results are discussed.     

Recent Advances in Divergent Synthetic Strategies for Indole-Based Natural Product Libraries

Considering the potential bioactivities of natural product and natural product-like compounds with highly complex and diverse structures, the screening of collections and small-molecule libraries for high-throughput screening (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) has emerged as a powerful tool in the development of novel therapeutic agents. Herein, we review the recent advances in divergent synthetic approaches such as complexity-to-diversity (Ctd) and biomimetic strategies for the generation of structurally complex and diverse indole-based natural product and natural product-like small-molecule libraries.     

Triplet photosensitization in cyercene A and related pyrones

Mollusks of the Sacoglossa order contain a variety of polypropionate metabolites that are characterized by a pyrone chromophore, such as cyercene A and 9,10-deoxytridachione. Most often the pyrone is a 2-methoxy-gamma-pyrone but occasionally is a 4-methoxy-alpha-pyrone or hydropyrone. Members of this class of metabolites have been shown to undergo photochemical reactions of biosynthetic importance. An example is the photochemical conversion of 9,10-deoxytridachione to photodeoxytridachione, which has been observed in several mollusks. In this report, a series of gamma-pyrones and their alpha-pyrone analogs were synthesized and analyzed for photosensitizing activity. In all cases studied, the gamma-pyrone was a more efficient triplet sensitizer than the corresponding alpha-pyrone. Included in this set of molecules was the Sacoglossan metabolite cyercene A and its alpha-pyrone isomer. When irradiated in the presence of oxygen, cyercene A produced singlet oxygen at significantly higher rate than the corresponding alpha-pyrone isomer. Furthermore, the photoisomerization of cyercene A was quenched by piperylene with con-committant isomerization of the piperylene indicating that the isomerization proceeded through a triplet excited state. In contrast, the isomerization of the alpha-pyrone analog was not quenched. The implications of these photochemical results in terms of the biosynthesis and biological activity of Sacoglossan polypropionate metabolites are discussed.     

Biomimetic synthesis and structural revision of (+/-)-tridachiahydropyrone

A short synthesis of the revised structure of the marine natural product tridachiahydropyrone is described. A novel biomimetic photochemical electrocyclization was employed to construct the bicyclic carbon framework from an open-chain polyene precursor. The spectroscopic data matched that of the isolated natural product, supporting a revised structure of this complex metabolite.     

Elysiapyrones from Elysia diomedea. Do such metabolites evidence an enzymatically assisted electrocyclization cascade for the biosynthesis of their bicyclo[4.2.0]octane core?

[structure: see text] Biogenetically interesting polypropionate-derived metabolites 1 and 2, featuring an unprecedented skeleton, have been isolated from the sea slug Elysia diomedea. Their enantiomeric character indicates that the current spontaneous electrocyclization cascade biogenetic hypothesis for the bicyclo[4.2.0]octane core must be enzymatically aided. These compounds are isomeric with the 15-nor-9,10-deoxytridachione/15-norphotodeoxytridachione pair of metabolites and encourage speculation about their biosynthetic relationship.     

Reductive Activation of Arenes: XIII. Reaction with Butyl Bromide of Anionic Products Formed by Reduction of 9,10-Dicyanoanthracene with Potassium in Liquid Ammonia

Reduction of 9,10-dicyanoanthracene with one equivalent of metallic potassium in liquid ammonia at -33°C gives a product which almost does not react with butyl bromide. By contrast, the two-electron reduction product reacts with butyl bromide to form, depending on the reaction conditions and procedure for treatment of the reaction mixture, one of the three compounds: 10-butyl-9-cyanoanthracene, 10-butyl-10-cyano-9,10-dihydroanthracen-9-one, or 9,10-dibutyl-9,10-dicyano-9,10-dihydroanthracene. Relatively stable 10-butyl-9,10-dicyano-9,10-dihydro-9-anthryl anion was presumed to be a common precursor of these products.     

Chemomics and drug innovation

Chemomics is an interdisciplinary study using approaches from chemoinformatics,bioinformatics,synthetic chemistry,and other related disciplines.Biological systems make natural products from endogenous small molecules (natural product building blocks) through a sequence of enzyme catalytic reactions.For each reaction,the natural product building blocks may contribute a group of atoms to the target natural product.We describe this group of atoms as a chemoyl.A chemome is the complete set of chemoyls in an organism.Chemomics studies chemomes and the principles of natural product syntheses and evolutions.Driven by survival and reproductive demands,biological systems have developed effective protocols to synthesize natural products in order to respond to environmental changes;this results in biological and chemical diversity.In recent years,it has been realized that one of the bottlenecks in drug discovery is the lack of chemical resources for drug screening.Chemomics may solve this problem by revealing the rules governing the creation of chemical diversity in biological systems,and by developing biomimetic synthesis approaches to make quasi natural product libraries for drug screening.This treatise introduces chemomics and outlines its contents and potential applications in the fields of drug innovation.     

化学基元组学与药物创新

化学基元组学（chemomics）是与化学信息学、生物信息学、合成化学等学科相关的交叉学科．生物系统从内源性小分子（天然砌块）出发,通过酶催化的化学反应序列制造天然产物．生物系统通过化学反应和天然砌块向目标天然产物“砌入”一组原子,这样的一组原子称为化学基元（chemoyl）．化学基元组（chemome）是生物组织中所含有的化学基元的全体．化学基元组学研究各种化学基元的结构、组装与演化的基本规律．在生存压力和繁衍需求的驱动下,生物系统已经进化出有效手段来合成天然产物以应付环境的变化,并产生了丰富多彩的生物和化学多样性．近年来,人们意识到药物创新的瓶颈之一是药物筛选资源的日益枯竭．化学基元组学可以解决这个瓶颈问题,它通过揭示生物系统制备化学多样性的规律,发展仿生合成方法制备类天然化合物库（quasi natural product libraries）以供药物筛选．本文综述了化学基元组学的主要研究内容及其在药物创新各领域中的潜在应用．     

Biocatalytic Steroidal 9α-Hydroxylation and Fragmentation Enable the Concise Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of 9,10-Secosteroids

9,10-Secosteroids are an important group of marine steroids with diverse biological activities. Herein, we report a chemoenzymatic strategy for the concise, modular, and scalable synthesis of ten naturally occurring 9,10-secosteroids from readily available steroids in three to eight steps. The key feature lies in utilizing a Rieske oxygenase-like 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KSH) as the biocatalyst to achieve efficient C9−C10 bond cleavage and A-ring aromatization of tetracyclic steroids through 9α-hydroxylation and fragmentation. With synthesized 9,10-secosteroides, structure–activity relationship was evaluated based on bioassays in terms of previously unexplored anti-infective activity. This study provides experimental evidence to support the hypothesis that the biosynthetic pathway through which 9,10-secosteroids are formed in nature shares a similar 9α-hydroxylation and fragmentation cascade. In addition to the development of a biomimetic approach for 9,10-secosteroid synthesis, this study highlights the great potential of chemoenzymatic strategies in chemical synthesis.     

Biomimetic Synthesis of Rhytidenone A and Mode of Action of Cytotoxic Rhytidenone F

The rhytidenone family comprises spirobisnaphthalene natural products isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Rhytidhysteron rufulum AS21B. The biomimetic synthesis of rhytidenone A was achieved by a Michael reaction/aldol/lactonization cascade in a single step from the proposed biosynthetic precursor rhytidenone F. Moreover, the mode of action of the highly cytotoxic rhytidenone F was investigated. The pulldown assay coupled with mass spectrometry analysis revealed the target protein PA28γ is covalently attached to rhytidenone F at the Cys92 residue. The interactions of rhytidenone F with PA28γ lead to the accumulation of p53, which is an essential tumor suppressor in humans. Consequently, the Fas-dependent signaling pathway is activated to initiate cellular apoptosis. These studies have identified the first small-molecule inhibitor targeting PA28γ, suggesting rhytidenone F may serve as a promising natural product lead for future anticancer drug development.     

EXCITED SINGLET AND TRIPLET PRODUCTS GENERATED FROM OXIDATION OF THE -CO-CH- CONTAINING MOLECULES

Abstract— In a previous study. we found indirect chemiluminescence from air oxidation of various simple ketones in alkaline aprotic solvents containing 9,10-diphenylanthracene and 9,10-dibromoanthracene. By summarizing the experimental results. it was concluded that excited products. mainly in the triplet state. were generated from air oxidation of those simple compounds having a -CO-CH-group via dioxetane intermediates.
Recently. we have succeeded in observing an intense direct chemiluminescence due to the generation of the excited singlet product by the air oxidation of such anthracene derivatives having a -CO-CH-group as 9,10-diisobutyrylanthracene and related compounds. The finding lends strong support to the hypothesis that dioxetane or dioxetanone may be the critical intermediate to give fluorescent singlet products.     

Biomimetic Total Synthesis of Hyperjapones A–E and Hyperjaponols A and C

Hyperjapones A–E and hyperjaponols A–C are complex natural products of mixed aromatic polyketide and terpene biosynthetic origin that have recently been isolated from Hypericum japonicum. We have synthesized hyperjapones A–E using a biomimetic, oxidative hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction to couple together dearomatized acylphloroglucinol and cyclic terpene natural products. Hyperjapone A is proposed to be the biosynthetic precursor of hyperjaponol C through a sequence of: 1) epoxidation; 2) acid‐catalyzed epoxide ring‐opening; and 3) a concerted, asynchronous alkene cyclization and 1,2‐alkyl shift of a tertiary carbocation. Chemical mimicry of this proposed biosynthetic sequence allowed a concise total synthesis of hyperjaponol C to be completed in which six carbon–carbon bonds, six stereocenters, and three rings were constructed in just four steps.     

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.     

无保护基法合成的启示*

本文通过对ambiguine H、welwitindolinone A等几个复杂天然产物的无保护基法全合成与经典全合成进行分析对比,指出无保护基法合成可以减少合成步骤和原料的损失,是高效率的合成方法,即将成为天然产物全合成研究的热点。对于天然产物,为了避免过多使用保护基,可以采取“回到源头”模仿自然界的思路,尽量采取仿生合成法。但对非天然产物,解决问题的根本也要“回到源头”,致力于研究如何“控制化学选择性”,提高反应效率。在合成设计方面,尽可能增加C-C键反应在总反应步骤中的比例;合成中要先构建骨架,后安插需要的官能团;在构建骨架时,过渡金属催化反应或者自由基反应能够减少保护基的使用。最后,本文举例阐述了实现无保护基法合成的其他各种策略,指出为了减少保护基的使用,应该充分利用基团反应性差异,多研究新的合成方法。     

Total synthesis of the epoxyquinol dimer (+)-panepophenanthrin: application of a diastereospecific biomimetic Diels-Alder dimerisation

An asymmetric total synthesis of the novel and structurally complex epoxyquinol natural product (+)-panepophenanthrin has been accomplished, in which a biomimetic Diels-Alder dimerisation is a key step. The key monomeric precursor was assembled by an efficient Stille cross coupling of two readily available building blocks that upon standing underwent a diastereospecific dimerisation cascade in excellent yield.     

Biomimetic Synthesis of Rhytidenone A and Mode of Action of Cytotoxic Rhytidenone F

The rhytidenone family comprises spirobisnaphthalene natural products isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Rhytidhysteron rufulum AS21B. The biomimetic synthesis of rhytidenone A was achieved by a Michael reaction/aldol/lactonization cascade in a single step from the proposed biosynthetic precursor rhytidenone F. Moreover, the mode of action of the highly cytotoxic rhytidenone F was investigated. The pulldown assay coupled with mass spectrometry analysis revealed the target protein PA28γ is covalently attached to rhytidenone F at the Cys92 residue. The interactions of rhytidenone F with PA28γ lead to the accumulation of p53, which is an essential tumor suppressor in humans. Consequently, the Fas‐dependent signaling pathway is activated to initiate cellular apoptosis. These studies have identified the first small‐molecule inhibitor targeting PA28γ, suggesting rhytidenone F may serve as a promising natural product lead for future anticancer drug development.     

Synthesis of 2,15-Hexadecanedione as a Precursor of Muscone

Muscone is a precious fragrant compound scarce in nature. Many synthetic attempts for this unique natural product have been carried out. In this work, the one-carbon unit transfer reaction of tetrahydrofolate coenzyme was initialed. Bisbenzimidazolium salt was used as tetrahydrofolate coenzyme model, and thus the biomimetic synthesis of 2,15-hexadecanedione, a precursor of muscone, was successfully accomplished by using the addition-hydrolysis reaction of bisbenzimidazolium salt with methyl magnesium iodide.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-panepophenanthrin, a novel inhibitor of the ubiquitin-activating enzyme

An enantioselective total synthesis of the novel natural product (+)-panepophenanthrin has been accomplished in which a biomimetic Diels-Alder dimerisation is a key step. The monomeric precursor 2 was assembled from the readily available Diels-Alder adduct of cyclopentadiene and p-benzoquinone through a short, simple sequence employing chemo- and stereoselective operations.