Stereochemical assignment of the fungal metabolite xestodecalactone A by total synthesis

The first synthesis of the macrocyclic natural product xestodecalactone A, a metabolite of a sponge-derived fungus, is described. By the use of methyl 5-hydroxyhexanoate in its R- or S-configured form, or as its racemate as the precursors, both enantiomers of xestodecalactone A as well as the racemic compound were obtained. Comparison of these synthetic products with the natural product by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and by HPLC on a chiral phase revealed the natural product to have the (R)-configuration.     

The fungal metabolite austdiol

The title compound, (7R,8S)‐7,8‐di­hydroxy‐3,7‐di­methyl‐6‐oxo‐7,8‐di­hydro‐6H‐isochromene‐5‐carb­aldehyde, C₁₂H₁₂O₅, is a trans‐vicinal diol. Of the two fused rings, which lie approximately in the same plane, the pyran ring is almost perfectly planar, while the cyclo­hexenone ring adopts a slightly distorted half‐chair conformation. The crystal packing is dictated by two strong intermolecular O—H⃛O interactions, one involving hydroxy and keto groups, the other involving two hydroxy groups. Molecules are linked together through twofold axes, forming zigzag ribbons extended along the a axis.     

A concise enantioselective synthesis of the fungal metabolite (+)-decarestrictine L

A stereoselective 10-step synthesis of the fungal metabolite (+)-decarestrictine L from commercially available ethyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate is described in which tandem oxonium ylide formation and rearrangement is used to construct the tetrahydropyranyl core of the natural product.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of the novel antiproliferative metabolite (+)-hexacyclinol

An enantioselective total synthesis of the novel bioactive epoxyquinone natural product (+)-hexacyclinol, exhibiting promising growth inhibiting activity against cancer cell lines, has been accomplished from a readily available chiron derived from the Diels-Alder adduct of cyclopentadiene and p-benzoquinone.     

A unified strategy for the asymmetric total syntheses of diversonol and lachnone C

A unified synthetic strategy for the asymmetric syntheses of the natural products diversonol and lachnone C was developed by using the domino vinylogous aldol-oxa-Michael reaction as the enantioselective key step. Further transformations include dihydroxylation, lactol-opening by a Wittig-reaction, and lactonization. The obtained chromone lactones, a class of mycotoxins, can further be converted to tetrahydroxanthones by a Dieckmann condensation. This general method allows for the first time the enantioselective access to these classes of natural products and should be applicable to other members of the tetrahydroxanthone and chromone lactone families.     

First enantioselective total synthesis and structure determination of the anthrapyran metabolite gamma-indomycinone

The first total synthesis of (R)-gamma-indomycinone has been achieved which allowed the determination of the configuration of the stereogenic center of natural gamma-indomycinone as (S). The approach stands out for its generality and efficiency. [reaction: see text]     

Exploratory studies toward a total synthesis of the marine ascidian metabolite perophoramidine

A strategy for a total synthesis of the marine alkaloid perophoramidine has been investigated. Key steps which have been tested include a tandem intramolecular Heck/carbonylation reaction and a stereoselective allylation of a pentacyclic δ-lactam to produce the C-4/20 vicinal quaternary centers having the requisite relative configuration of the metabolite.     

Oxidative decarboxylation as a route to ketene acetals: assignment of relative and absolute stereochemistry to the fungal metabolite benesudon by total synthesis

The unusual ketene acetal benesudon, which is a bioactive fungal metabolite, was synthesized from d-glucose by a route involving radical cyclization to form the five-membered ring and oxidative decarboxylation to generate the key central double bond. The originally suggested stereochemistry for the quaternary center C(5) must be revised, as both possibilities were prepared and a comparison with an authentic sample was made. The absolute configuration of benesudon is 4S,5R,6S.     

Structure and total synthesis of aspernigerin: a novel cytotoxic endophyte metabolite

Aspernigerin (1), a novel cytotoxic alkaloid consisting of an unprecedented structural framework has been isolated from the extract of a culture of Aspergillus niger IFB-E003, an endophyte in Cyndon dactylon. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of comprehensive NMR spectral analysis and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Aspernigerin (1) has been shown to be cytotoxic to the tumor cell lines nasopharynyeal epidermoid KB, cervical carcinoma Hela, and colorectal carcinoma SW1116 with corresponding IC(50) values of 22, 46, and 35 microM, respectively. A feasible total synthetic route for aspernigerin (1) has been established for further pharmacological research.     

Convergent total synthesis of khafrefungin and its inhibitory activity of fungal sphingolipid syntheses

A convergent total synthesis of khafrefungin, a novel inhibitor of fungal sphingolipid syntheses isolated from the fermentation culture MF6020, has been developed. Alkenylboronic acid 5 and alkenyliodide 6, key fragments for the total synthesis, were prepared from the corresponding achiral aldehydes using tin(II)-catalyzed and Zr(IV)-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions, respectively. The Suzuki coupling reaction of these two fragments was successfully performed to give 17 in good yield. Through the total synthesis, epimerization of the C4 position having a rather highly acidic proton did not occur, indicating that khafrefungin was under strict conformational constraints to prevent the epimerization process. This characteristic stability of khafrefungin has also been discussed using semiempirical calculation and synthesis. Finally, khafrefungin derivatives have also been synthesized, and their antifungal activities have been measured to obtain information on the structure--activity relationships.     

The biosynthesis of fulvic acid,a fungal metabolite of heptaketide origin

Analyses of the regiochemistry of [¹³C]acetate incorporation into fulvic acid ($\text{2}$) by Penicillium brefeldianum indicates that the metabolite is biosynthesized via a heptaketide intermediate assembled as a single chain of seven C₂, units rather than from two smaller polyketide chains. This information favours a route leading through common C₁₄ intermediates to the three fungal metabolites, citromycetin, fulvic acid and fusarubin.     

The total synthesis of piptosidin

The synthesis of piptosidin, 2a, by the Michael addition of ascorbic acid to tigloyl cyanide is reported.     

The total synthesis of joubertinamine

The recently described N-demethyl-seco-mesembrane alkaloid joubertinamine¹¹ (1) and the 3a-aryloctahydroindole alkaloid mesembranone (17) are accessible via a common synthetic pathway.     

The total synthesis of renierone

The use of an intramolecular Ben-Ishai reaction is described.