Diastereoselective synthesis of d-xylo-isoxazolidinyl nucleosides

The condensation of the acetoxyisoxazolidines with silylated uracil, thymine, cytosine, N-acetylcytosine, and guanine proceeded in good yields and with moderate to good stereoselectivity to give isoxazolidinyl β- and α-nucleosides. The stereoselectivity of the addition is dependent on the structure of the substituent at C-3 originating from the starting chiral nitrone. The Vorbrüggen nucleosidation of isoxazolidine 8 at 70 °C afforded β-anomers as the exclusive nucleosides together with the isoxazoline 11. It was found that the nucleosidation proceeded also in methylene chloride at room temperature.     

Enantiospecific enzymatic synthesis of N-carbamoyl-d-p-fluorophenylglycine and N-carbamoyl-d-p-trifluoromethylphenylglycine

Enantiospecific enzymatic hydrolysis of rac-5-arylhydantoins is described. Immobilized d-hydantoinase from Vigna angularis was used to produce with 100% conversion and over 98% enantiomeric excess N-carbamoyl-d-p-fluorophenylglycine and N-carbamoyl-d-p-trifluoromethylphenylglycine.     

Synthesis of l-cyclopentenyl nucleosides using ring-closing metathesis and palladium-mediated allylic alkylation methodologies

The enantiomeric synthesis of l-cyclopentenyl nucleosides is described. The key intermediate (+)-cyclopentenyl alcohol (8) was prepared from methyl-α-d-galactopyranoside 1 using a ring closing metathesis reaction. Transformation of the allylic alcohol 8 into the allylic acetate (9) or carbonate (10), allows their coupling with purine and pyrimidine bases under Pd(0)-catalyzed Tsuji-Trost allylic alkylation's to yield 12a-c. The Pd catalyzed reaction was found to require the use of AlEt₃.     

A convenient synthesis of methyl N-acetyl-α-d-lividosaminide from d-glucal

Methyl N-acetyl-α-d-lividosaminide has been synthesised starting from 4,6-di-O-benzyl-d-glucal via a new nitro glucal derivative in six steps.     

An efficient and highly diastereoselective synthesis of C-glycosylated 1,3-oxazolidines from N-methyl-d-glucamine

A one-pot procedure for preparing chiral 1,3-oxazolidines derived from N-methyl-d-glucamine and aryl aldehydes is described. It has been carried out by using readily available reagents and operationally simple conditions allowing the preparation of the acyclic C-nucleoside analogs in high yields. The structure of these derivatives has been fully characterized by NMR correlations and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Some reactions also provide access to the corresponding tetrahydro-1,3-oxazines by an alternative ring closure. Mechanistic considerations account for the observed steric course.     

Efficient synthesis of new N-alkyl-d-ribono-1,5-lactams from d-ribono-1,4-lactone

d-Ribono-1,4-lactone was treated with ethylamine in DMF to afford N-ethyl-d-ribonamide 9a in quantitative yield. Bromination of amide 9a by the system SOBr₂ in DMF or PPh₃/CBr₄ in pyridine led, after acetylation, to epoxide 7. However, treatment of amide 9a with acetyl bromide in dioxane followed by acetylation gave 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-5-bromo-5-deoxyl-N-ethyl-d-ribonamide 10a. Methanolysis of 10a, with sodium methoxide, afforded the N-ethyl-d-ribonolactam 11a in 51% overall yields. Using this method, N-butyl, N-hexyl, N-dodecyl, and N-benzyl-d-ribonolactams 11b-e were obtained in good yields (48-53%).     

From d-xylose to a d-glycero-l-altrose derivative

A key intermediate corresponding to a rare sugar framework has been synthesized, starting from d-xylose, an inexpensive carbohydrate. This approach gave access to new elaborated sugar moieties for structure–activity relationships in the KRN research.     

An efficient chemoenzymatic method to prepare optically active O-methyl-d-serine

Lacosamide is an important anti-epilepsy drug and O-methyl-d-serine is a relevant intermediate in the synthesis of lacosamide. Optically active O-methyl-d-serine was prepared by using a chemoenzymatic method from inexpensive acrylamide. Our method is a four-step reaction sequence: bromination of acrylamide; etherification of dibromopropionamide; ammonolysis of α-bromo-β-methoxy-propionamide; enzymatic racemization and selective hydrolysis. The double-enzyme catalyst system, which consists of α-amino-ε-caprolactam racemase (Locus, E01594) and d-stereospecific amino-acid amidase (Locus, AB026907), was successfully applied to produce enantiopure O-methyl-d-serine (ee >99.8%) in high yield (>98.5%). Optically active O-methyl-d-serine was obtained with a total yield of 81.3%.     

Asymmetric syntheses of the methyl glycosides of 2-deoxy-2-aminohexoses: d-allosamine, d-mannosamine, d-idosamine and d-talosamine

A range of the methyl glycosides of 2-deoxy-2-aminohexoses, comprising d-allosamine, d-mannosamine, d-idosamine and d-talosamine, were prepared from the corresponding d-aldopentoses via a seven step synthetic sequence. The doubly diastereoselective conjugate addition of the requisite antipode of lithium N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide and in situ enolate oxidation with the requisite antipode of camphorsulfonyloxaziridine (CSO) was used as the key, stereodefining step. Sequential reduction of the resultant α-hydroxy-β-amino esters and oxidative cleavage of the C(1)–C(2) diol unit furnished the corresponding α-amino aldehydes. Subsequent N- and O-deprotection gave the target compounds (as mixtures of anomers) in good yield and high diastereoisomeric purity.     

6-Azido d-galactose transfer to N-acetyl-d-glucosamine derivative using commercially available β-1,4-galactosyltransferase

A new strategy to tag glycoproteins carrying terminal GlcNAc was developed using commercially available bovine β-1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalT) and UDP-6-azidogalactose. The azide function was then allowed to react via a biotinylated Staudinger-Bertozzi probe demonstrating the usefulness of such a procedure to tag any glycoprotein possessing a N-acetylglucosamine terminal residue from any type of cell lysate.     

Synthesis of d-glucose and l-phenylalanine substituted phenylene-thiophene oligomers

Phenylene-thiophene oligomers bearing peracetylated β-d-glucose or N-BOC-l-phenylalanine as chiral substituents were synthesized in good yields by a versatile protocol based on the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. Aryl iodides bearing the chiral biomolecules as substituents efficiently reacted with pinacol boronates of bi- or terthiophenes leading to the bio-functionalized oligomers in good yields.     

Selection of synthetic receptors capable of sensing the difference in binding of d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac ligands by screening of a combinatorial CTV-based library

Screening of a combinatorial CTV-based artificial, synthetic receptor library 1 {1-13, 1-13, 1-13} for binding of a variety d-Ala-d-Ala and d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands (6-11) was carried out in phosphate buffer (0.1 N, pH=7.0). After screening and Edman sequencing, synthetic receptors were found containing amino acid sequences, which are either characteristic for binding dye labeled d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands. For example, receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Ala containing ligands 6, 7, 9 and 11 contained—almost in all cases—at least one basic amino acid residue—predominantly Lys—in their arms. This was really a striking difference with the arms of the receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands 8 and 10, which usually contained a significant number of polar amino acids (Gln and Ser), especially in ligand 8, but hardly any basic amino acids. Use of different (fluorescent) dye labels showed that the label has a profound, albeit not decisive, influence on the binding by the receptor. A hit from the screening of the CTV-library with FITC-peptidoglycan (6) was selected for resynthesis and validation.     

De novo approach to l-anhydrohexitol nucleosides as building blocks for the synthesis of l-hexitol nucleic acids (l-HNA)

A stereoselective and scalable route to 1,5-anhydrohexitol nucleoside analogues belonging to l-series as building blocks for l-HNA oligonucleotide synthesis has been efficiently tuned. Key to the successful outcome of our approach is the development of a DDQ-mediated domino reaction, which leads to the formation of an unsaturated 1,6-anhydrosugar derivative. Sugar elaborations and base insertion then enable to synthesize six-membered nucleosides.     

Synthesis of eight-membered iminocyclitols from d-glucose

The Baylis-Hillman reaction of 3-O-benzyl-α-d-xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose 2 afforded a diastereomeric mixture of l-ido- and d-gluco-configurated α-methylene-β-hydroxy esters 3a and 3b, respectively, in 1:1 ratio. Conjugate addition of benzyl amine on 3a gave adduct 4a as a major product while, addition of benzyl amine to 3b gave only one diastereomer 4b. Reduction of ester functionality in 4a/4b, opening of 1,2-acetonide functionality followed by reductive amino-cyclization under hydrogenation condition afforded azocanes 1c/1d in good yield.     

Synthesis of hybrids of d-glucose and d-galactose with 1-deoxynojirimycin analogues using ring-closing metathesis

Four hybrids of azasugars with d-glucose and d-galactose have been synthesized from 3-nitro-2,3-unsaturated-O-glycosides. All the hybrid molecules showed moderate activity against β-galactosidase, the one derived from d-glucose and 1,4-dideoxygulonojirimycin 18, and 26, which is a hybrid of d-glucose and 1,4-dideoxymannohomonojrimycin, showed selectivity toward α-glucosidase and β-galactosidase, respectively.     

Synthesis of homochiral 2-C-perfluoroalkyl substituted d- and l-riboses

Homochiral 2-C-perfluoroalkyl substituted d- and l-riboses were synthesized via Barbier, Grignard and Ruppert type reactions. The influence of the size of the perfluoroalkyl groups, attached to C-2, on the furanose/pyranose as well as on the α-furanose/β-furanose and α-pyranose/β-pyranose ratio in solution was studied.     

An efficient synthesis of d-ribo- and l-lyxo-phytosphingosine from d-tartaric acid

The preparations of d-ribo- and l-lyxo-phytosphingosines (1, 2) are described. Chelation-controlled addition of tetradecylmagnesium bromide to pentylidene-protected d-threitol aldehyde 6 afforded the key intermediate tetrol 7, providing the desired l-lyxo stereochemistry of phytosphingosine. Inversion at C4 of intermediate 7 provided the d-ribo stereochemistry.     

Synthesis of a fluoroalkene peptidomimetic precursor of N-acetyl-l-glutamyl-l-alanine

Fluoroolefin peptidomimetics of the dipeptide N-acetyl-Glu-Ala were synthesized via an Evans asymmetric aldol reaction and an Overman rearrangement. This dipeptide is the N-terminal of an octapeptide implicated in the signal transduction via PKCε.     

Highly efficient stereoselective synthesis of d-erythro-sphingosine and d-lyxo-phytosphingosine

Starting from a single suitable functionalised epoxide, a highly efficient stereoselective synthesis of d-erythro-sphingosine and d-lyxo-phytosphingosine is described. The approach allows the formal preparation of all stereoisomers of these sphingoid structures.     

Synthesis of d-gluco-, l-ido-, d-galacto-, and l-altro-configured glycaro-1,5-lactams from tartaric acid

The d-gluco-, l-ido-, d-galacto-, and l-altro-configured glycaro-1,5-lactams 1-4 were prepared from the known tartaric anhydride 5 via the aldehyde 6. These lactams are known (1) or potential (2-4) inhibitors of β-d-glucuronidases and α-l-iduronidases. Olefination of 6 to the (E)- and (Z)-alkenes 7 or 8, followed by reagent or substrate controlled dihydroxylation, lactonization, azidation, reduction, and deprotection led in 10 steps and in overall yields of 11-20% to the title lactams.