Synthesis and biological evaluation of phosphono analogues of capsular polysaccharide fragments from Neisseria meningitidis A

Neisseria meningitidis type A (MenA) is a Gram-negative encapsulated bacterium that may cause explosive epidemics of meningitis, especially in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. The development and manufacture of an efficient glycoconjugate vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis A is greatly hampered by the poor hydrolytic stability of its capsular polysaccharide, which is made up of (1-->6)-linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl phosphate repeating units. Since this chemical lability is a product of the inherent instability of the phosphodiester bridges, here we report the synthesis of phosphonoester-linked oligomers of N-acetyl mannosamine as candidates for stabilised analogues of the corresponding phosphate-bridged saccharides. The installation of each interglycosidic phosphonoester linkage was achieved by Mitsunobu coupling of a glycosyl C-phosphonate building block with the 6-OH moiety of a mannosaminyl residue. Each of the synthesised compounds contains an O-linked aminopropyl spacer at its reducing end (alpha- or beta-oriented) to allow for protein conjugation. The relative affinities of the synthetic molecules were investigated by a competitive ELISA assay and showed that a human polyclonal anti-MenA serum can recognise both the phosphonoester-bridged fragments 1-3 and their monomeric subunits, glycosides 20 and 21. Moreover, the biological results suggest that the abilities of these compounds to inhibit the binding of a specific antibody to MenA polysaccharide are dependent on the chain lengths of the molecules, but independent on the orientations of the anomeric linkers.     

Convenient stereoselective synthesis of some 3-aminosteroid scaffolds

Abstract

An efficient stereoselective synthesis 3α- and 3β-aminoandrostan-17-one and 3α-amino dehydroepiandrosten-17-one based on a Mitsunobu reaction has been developed, using azide as the ammonia equivalent. All the products were isolated in high yield.     

Thiophene-containing Pechmann dyes and related compounds: synthesis, and experimental and DFT characterisation

Attaching 2-thienyl residues to the Pechmann dye core chromophore (5,5-exo-dilactone situated around a C-C double bond) results in a novel magenta-coloured compound (UV/Vis spectroscopy λ(max) =570 nm in CHCl(3)), which can be rearranged to a yellow 6,6-endo-dilactone (λ(max) =462 nm in CHCl(3)). Single and double amidation results in pronounced redshift in the 5,5-exo series (violet, λ(max) =570 nm and blue, λ(max) =606 nm in CHCl(3), respectively) but pronounced blueshift in the 6,6-endo series (yellow, λ(max) =424 nm and pale yellow bordering on colourless, λ(max) =395 nm in CHCl(3), respectively). Incorporation of a 3-alkyl substituent on the thiophene ring allows for sharp increase of solubility in organic solvents concomitant with fine-tuning of the colour: a redshift in 5,5-exo-dilactones but a blueshift in 5,5-exo-dilactams. DFT computations demonstrate that both lactone classes are planar regardless of the presence of a 3-alkyl group. The lactam derivatives are non-planar: the thiophene-core chromophore dihedral angles increase on going from 5,5-exo to 6,6-endo and from thiophene to 3-alkyl thiophene. Depending on the core heteroatom (O vs. N-alkyl), ring junction (5,5-exo vs. 6,6-endo) and 3-thiophene substituent (H vs. alkyl), two, three, four or six conformers are possible. All of these conformers were characterised by DFT and were found to be very close in energy at both IEFPCM/B3LYP/DGDZVP and SMD/M06/DGDZVP levels of theory. Within each conformer set, the HOMO and LUMO energies were within 0.05 eV and the predicted λ(max) values (TD-DFT) within 10 nm, and this implies low sensitivity of the optical and electronic properties to conformation. Cyclic voltammetry measurements of selected compounds demonstrated good matching to the HOMO and LUMO energies from IEFPCM/B3LYP/DGDZVP computations. M06-2X was the best DFT functional for TD-DFT, giving predicted λ(max) values within about 20 nm.     

Divergent heparin oligosaccharide synthesis with preinstalled sulfate esters

Traditional chemical synthesis of heparin oligosaccharides first involves assembly of the full length oligosaccharide backbone followed by sulfation. Herein, we report an alternative strategy in which the O-sulfate was introduced onto glycosyl building blocks as a trichloroethyl ester prior to assembly of the full length oligosaccharide. This allowed divergent preparation of both sulfated and non-sulfated building blocks from common advanced intermediates. The O-sulfate esters were found to be stable during glycosylation as well as typical synthetic manipulations encountered during heparin oligosaccharide synthesis. Furthermore, the presence of sulfate esters in both glycosyl donors and acceptors did not adversely affect the glycosylation yields, which enabled us to assemble multiple heparin oligosaccharides with preinstalled 6-O-sulfates.     

Synthesis of protected pseudopeptides from dicarboxylic amino acids by Mitsunobu condensation

Four protected pseudopeptides from Glu-, Asp- and Gly-derivatives have been prepared via Mitsunobu condensation. It was shown to be a universal and preparative method which allows the formation of different structural molecules containing reduced peptides.     

A practical, two-step synthesis of 1-alkyl-4-aminopyrazoles

A novel synthesis of N1 alkyl-substituted pyrazoles with a free amino group at the C4 position is described. Commercially available 4-nitropyrazole was found to readily undergo Mitsunobu reactions with primary and secondary alcohols. Subsequent reduction of the nitro group via hydrogenation affords 1-alkyl-4-aminopyrazoles, which are valuable intermediates in the synthesis of pharmaceutically active compounds.     

A novel and efficient synthesis of Entecavir

A practical synthesis of Entecavir (1) has been accomplished in 10 steps with 21% overall yield. The key steps to construct the five-membered carbocyclic framework 2 are a ring-closing metathesis and a diethyl-aluminum 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidide (DA-TMS) mediated epoxide isomerization. Furthermore, the guanine was introduced by modified Mitsunobu reaction.     

Enantioselective synthesis of pantolactone analogues from an ephedrine-derived morpholine-dione

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of β,β-dialkyl α-hydroxy γ-butyrolactones, analogues of pantolactone, has been developed employing a stereoselective Prins reaction of chiral alkylidene morpholinones, as the key step. Enantioselective synthesis of a naturally occurring pantolactone homologue and a spiro analogue of pantolactone was achieved with this protocol.     

A practical synthesis of archaeosine and its base

A practical synthetic route to 7-formamidino-7-deazaguanosine (archaeosine), a hypermodified nucleoside observed in archaeal tRNA, has been developed, which involves the addition of hydroxylamine to the cyano group of 7-cyano-7-deazaguanosine (preQ₀-nucleoside) and a subsequent Pd-catalyzed hydrogenation. PreQ₀-nucleoside was obtained from an optimized β-selective glycosylation developed by Hocek et al. The corresponding archaeosine base was subsequently synthesized in high yield from its precursor 7-cyano-7-deazaguanine (preQ₀).     

Enantioselective synthesis of oseltamivir phosphate

The key steps in the enantioselective synthesis of Tamiflu include an asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction, Mitsunobu inversion using Fukuyama modified Weinreb reagent, carbamate directed epoxidation. Epoxide opening with trimethylsilyl azide furnished a 3:1 mixture of regioisomers that converged to afford the same aziridine. Attempted preparation of the unsaturated ester regioselectively using 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX) following Nicolaou’s protocol failed. The unsaturated ester was prepared by phenylselenylation followed by selenoxide elimination.     

A general strategy for the synthesis of azapeptidomimetic lactams

A selection of azapeptidomimetics containing constraining lactam rings have been prepared by Mitsunobu cyclization of serine/homologated serine-azaalanine derivatives. These include sterically-congested β-lactams, as well as γ-butyrolactam and δ-valerolactam analogs. A novel azaamino acid acylation method was developed to prepare the sterically demanding α-benzyl-serine-azaalanine precursor. In all cases, the Mitsunobu conditions were highly efficient in forming the desired azapeptidomimetic lactams. The reported process represents a general strategy for the synthesis of peptidomimetic structures with a constraining lactam ring.     

Divergent synthesis of 2-C-branched pyranosides and oxepines from 1,2-gem-dibromocyclopropyl carbohydrates

The ring opening of 1,2-(gem-dibromo)cyclopropyl carbohydrates by two different modes leads to either 2-C-(bromomethylene)pyranosides (using base) or 2-bromooxepines (using silver salts), as shown previously by us for a d-glucal-derived cyclopropane. The base-promoted ring opening is extended to encompass additional alcohol, thiol and amine nucleophiles, and diastereoisomeric cyclopropane precursors. Cross-coupling of the 2-C-(bromomethylene)pyranosides leads to extended 2-C-branched pyranosides. Silver-promoted ring expansion of the cyclopropyl carbohydrates in the presence of various alcohols is described. Cross-coupling of the resulting benzyl 2-bromooxepines affords 2-C-substituted oxepines.     

A new scalable synthesis of entecavir

A new synthesis of entecavir from d-glucose in an average total yield of 3.5% was achieved via an intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) reaction and a Peterson olefination as key-steps. The present process was designed for industrial application, using widely available raw materials, simple and cheap reagents and avoiding low reaction temperatures, which are very common in the synthetic approaches towards similarly complex structures.     

The stereoselective total synthesis of xestodecalactone C and epi-sporostatin via the Prins cyclisation

Syntheses of xestodecalactone C and epi-sporostatin are described utilising Prins cyclisations, Mitsunobu reaction and intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation. The approach is convergent and highly stereoselective.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of iminocyclitols with an ether bridge

Nor-tropane related bicyclic (6+5) iminocyclitols with an ether bridge and different substituents (hydroxymethyl, aminomethyl, and aminoethyl) on C-1 are prepared starting from a β-d-psicofuranosyl cyanide. The method involves an internal nucleophilic attack of a stabilized amide ion on a 5-mesyloxy derivative. The intermediate N-acetyl O-protected iminocyclitols present atropoisomerism due to restricted rotation of the N-CO amido bond. Conformational aspects of the prepared compounds are discussed.     

Solid-phase synthesis of benzothiazoles using an alkoxyamine linker

An alkoxyamine linker was applied for the solid-phase synthesis of benzothiazoles. The substrate was anchored by aldoxime linkage and products were cleaved from the solid-support by aldoxime-imine exchange coupled with air-oxidation under the weakly acidic conditions. The tether is highly robust under Mitsunobu reaction, nucleophilic substitution reaction, and Pd-catalyzed reaction conditions.     

A fully stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-leucascandrolide A

A highly stereocontrolled total synthesis of leucascandrolide A, a cytotoxic 18-membered macrolide from the calcareous sponge Leucascandra caveolata, starts out with a Jacobsen asymmetric hetero Diels-Alder reaction to configure the 2,6-cis-tetrahydropyran ring. All the remaining oxygenated stereocentres are introduced with high selectivity by relying on substrate-based control. An efficient endgame depends on two Mitsunobu reactions, the first to close the macrolactone with inversion at C17 and the second to attach the oxazole-containing side chain at C5, followed by Lindlar hydrogenation of the two alkynes to provide (+)-leucascandrolide A.