Total synthesis of piericidin A1 and B1

The first total syntheses of piericidin A1 and B1 are disclosed and unambiguously establish the relative and absolute stereochemistry of the natural products by an approach that will facilitate the synthesis of a series of analogues. Central to the approach is an inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction of a N-sulfonyl-1-aza-1,3-butadiene with tetramethoxyethene followed by Lewis acid-promoted aromatization used to assemble the functionalized pyridine core. Additional key elements in the convergent approach include the use of an anti-aldol reaction to install the C9 and C10 relative and absolute stereochemistry, a modified Julia olefination for formation of the C5-C6 trans double bond with convergent assemblage of the side chain, and a penultimate heterobenzylic Stille cross-coupling reaction of the pyridyl core with the fully elaborated side chain.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of tamandarin B analogues

Tamandarins A and B are a class of marine natural cyclodepsipeptides with structures and biological activities closely related to those of the didemnins. The easier synthetic access to tamandarins accelerates the preparation of new macrocyclic derivatives of this family of antitumor, antiviral, and immunosuppressive compounds. The optimization of the previously reported synthetic route to tamandarins by changing the macrolactamization site from Nst1 and Thr6 to Pro4 and N,O-Me2Tyr5 residues led to a significant improvement in the reaction yield. Using this new synthetic approach, four new macrocyclic analogues of tamandarin B were prepared and evaluated for anticancer activity. These results provide further insight into the structure-activity relationship of the tamandarins and didemnins.     

Total synthesis of malayamycin A and analogues

The total synthesis of the bicyclic C-nucleoside malayamycin A is described starting with d-ribonolactone. A new method was developed to obtain preparatively important quantities of β-pseudouridine, which was used as an intermediate. The synthesis of a carba N-nucleoside analogue of malayamycin A is also described.     

Total synthesis of 3,3-difluorinated 1-deoxynojirimycin analogues

Difluorination of 1-deoxynojirimycin at position C(3) creates a competitive inhibitor 15 of 10 times higher activity against an α-glucosidase than the parent compound. Its screening against a panel of human cell lines showed a low cytotoxicity therefore making this compound an interesting candidate for further clinical investigations.     

Total synthesis of maesanin and analogues

An efficient total synthesis of maesanin and related quinones is reported, through direct alkylation of 1,2,4,5-tetramethoxybenzene with alkylbromides, followed by oxidation with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) which provokes formation of the quinone and deprotection of the more hindered methyl ether in one step, to furnish the desired 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinones 1a-h.     

Total synthesis of luotonin A and 14-substituted analogues

A new and concise synthesis of luotonin A was achieved from the previously described compounds ethyl 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylate and 1-(2-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one. New 14-substituted luotonin A analogues were prepared using 14-chloroluotonin A as the key intermediate.     

Total synthesis of (+)-piericidin A1 and (−)-piericidin B1

The convergent syntheses of (+)-piericidin A₁ 1 and (?)-piericidin B₁ 2 have been achieved based on classical Julia-Lythgoe olefination between 4-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxy-3-methyl-2-[5-oxo-3-methyl-pent-(2E)-enyl]-pyridine 3 corresponding to the left half of the final molecule, and chiral phenyl sulfones, (4R,5R)-2,4,6-trimethyl-5-methoxy-1-phenylsulfonyl-octa-(2E,6E)-diene 20 and (4R,5R)-5-tert-butyldimethylsiloxy-2,4,6-trimethyl-1-phenylsulfonyl-octa-(2E,6E)-diene 33, corresponding to the right halves. The construction of the two stereogenic centers in the right half of piericidins was achieved based on lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl (2,3)-anti-3-acetoxy-2,4-dimethyl-hex-(4E)-enoate (±)-22.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of neodysiherbaine A and analogues

Dysiherbaine (1) and its congener neodysiherbaine A (2) are naturally occurring excitatory amino acids with selective and potent agonistic activity for ionotropic glutamate receptors. We describe herein the total synthesis of 2 and its structural analogues 3-8. Advanced key intermediate 16 was employed as a branching point to assemble a series of these analogues 3-8 with respect to the C8 and C9 functionalities, which would not have been accessible through manipulations of the natural product itself. The synthesis of key intermediate 16 features (i) stereocontrolled C-glycosylation to set the C6 stereocenter, (ii) concise synthesis of the bicyclic ether skeleton through chemo- and stereoselective dihydroxylation of the exo-olefin and stereoselective epoxidation of the endo-olefin, followed by epoxide ring opening/5-exo ring closure, and (iii) catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of enamide ester to construct the amino acid appendage. A preliminary biological evaluation of analogues for their in vivo toxicity against mice and binding affinity for glutamate receptors showed that both the type and stereochemistry of the C8 and C9 functional groups affected the subtype selectivity of dysiherbaine analogues for members of the kainic acid receptor family.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of marinopyrrole A and analogues

A five-step total synthesis of the antibiotic marinopyrrole A (1) is described. The developed synthetic technology enabled the synthesis of several marinopyrrole A analogs whose antibacterial properties against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus TCH1516 were evaluated.     

Total synthesis and stereochemical confirmation of manassantin A, B, and B1

Stereocontrolled total syntheses of manassantins A, B, and B1 and saucerneol are described for the first time based on a novel cycloetherification of end-differentiated benzylic alcohols as a common intermediate. [structure: see text].     

Total synthesis of exochelin MN and analogues

The first total synthesis of exochelin MN is described along with rationally designed analogues. The required L-threo-beta-hydroxyamino acid components were constructed using either Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation reactions or an aldol reaction of imidazolidinone 19. A new concise procedure for the preparation of the constituent six-membered cyclic hydroxamate was developed. In addition, a plausible mechanism for exochelin MN-mediated iron(III) transport was proposed. Biological studies of these compounds will be used to evaluate this hypothesis.     

Total synthesis of tryprostatins A and B

Three distinct synthetic routes to the 2-prenyl tryptophan core skeleton of tryprostatins and their total syntheses are described. The strategies include a traditional gramine-mediated coupling reaction, Fürstner indole synthesis, and our radical-mediated indole synthesis from o-alkenylphenyl isocyanide. The establishment of reliable conditions for the radical-mediated construction of indoles via a low-temperature radical initiator V-70 (2,2′-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile)) led to the highly efficient syntheses of tryprostatins A and B.     

Total synthesis of didmolamides A and B

The first total synthesis of didmolamides A (1) and B (2) has been accomplished by the solid phase assembly of thiazole-containing amino acids and commercially available Fmoc-protected amino acids. The synthesis of didmolamide B was also achieved in high yield using solution phase peptide synthesis. The thiazole-containing amino acid composing 1 and 2 was synthesized by a MnO₂ oxidation of a thiazoline, prepared from an Ala-Cys dipeptide using bis(triphenyl)oxodiphosphonium trifluoromethanesulfonate. The final macrolactamization was accomplished efficiently by PyBOP and DMAP in solution.     

Total synthesis of fuligocandines A and B

A practical synthesis of the biologically active cycloanthranilylproline derivatives fuligocandines A and B is described, starting from l-proline and isatoic anhydride, employing an Eschenmoser episulfide contraction as the key step.     

Total synthesis of clathculins A and B

Clathculins A and B represent a new class of vic-diamine alkaloids containing a PA2 unit as the basic structure. We report the first total syntheses of 1 and 2, which confirm the assigned structure of each. Dependence of their NMR spectroscopic behavior as a function of protonation state has been observed.     

Total synthesis of kehokorins A and B

The total synthesis of a dibenzofuran rhamnoside, kehokorin A, and its aglycone, kehokorin B, was achieved via a route including Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling followed by Ullmann ether synthesis to form a dibenzofuran, stepwise bromination at C7 of the dibenzofuran, a second Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling to install a 4-methoxyphenyl group at C7, and rhamnosylation.     

Total synthesis of emericellamides A and B

The total synthesis of emericellamides A and B is reported. A convergent, flexible strategy employing peptide chemistry, asymmetric alkylations, and culminating in macrolactamization is described. The previously reported structure of both compounds is confirmed.