New total synthesis of the marine antitumor alkaloid (-)-agelastatin A

[reaction: see text] A new total synthesis of (-)-agelastatin A (1) has been achieved from the chiral oxazolidinone (-)-3. Although enone transposition was problematic when the Michael ring closure of 2 was attempted with strong base, the desired cyclization could be effected with Hunig's base after the pyrrole nucleus was brominated. Subsequent reduction and monobromination afforded synthetic (-)-agelastatin A (1).     

A formal total synthesis of the marine alkaloid aaptamine

A new strategy for the synthesis of benzo[de][1,6]naphthyridine derivative 2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydroaaptamine, which involves the construction of the isoquinoline ring after elaboration of the quinoline moiety, is described. Since 2,3,3a,4,5,6-hexahydroaaptamine has been previously synthesized as a key intermediate en route to the marine alkaloid aaptamine, access to this compound represents a formal total synthesis of the natural product.     

The first total synthesis of discorhabdin A

The first stereoselective total synthesis of a potent antitumor alkaloid, discorhabdin A (1), which is a unique sulfur-containing pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloid, is described. The key step in the stereocontrolled total synthesis of 1 involves both a diastereoselective oxidative spirocyclization using a hypervalent iodine(III) reagent and an efficient construction of the labile and highly strained N,S-acetal skeleton. These methodologies provide a breakthrough in the total syntheses of these promising new antitumor agents, discorhabdins and their analogues, which should serve as valuable probes for structure-activity studies.     

Explorations on the total synthesis of the unusual marine alkaloid chartelline A

In work directed toward a total synthesis of chartelline A (1a), a strategy was investigated to construct the 10-membered ring of this marine alkaloid via an intramolecular aldehyde/beta-lactam cyclocondensation to form the macrocyclic enamide functionality. Therefore, spiro-beta-lactam and imidazole fragments were first prepared. Tribromooxindole beta-lactam 24 was synthesized from commercially available 5-nitroisatin (18) in seven steps and 30% overall yield via a Staudinger ketene-imine [2 + 2]-cycloaddition strategy. The requisite 2-bromoimidazole subunit 40 bearing a terminal alkyne and a masked aldehyde was efficiently prepared from the readily available imidazole ester 25 in 10 steps. With both advanced intermediates available, the addition of the lithium acetylide generated from 2-bromoimidazole subunit 40 to the gamma-lactam carbonyl group of N-Boc-tribromooxindole 24 was investigated, affording the desired N-Boc-aminal 41. Hydrolysis of the acetonide moiety of 41, followed by oxidative cleavage of the resulting diol, gave the aldehyde 42. Unfortunately, treatment of aldehyde 42 with p-toluenesulfonic acid did not give the desired 10-membered macrocyclic (Z)-enamide 46, but rather the highly unsaturated seven-membered ring compound 44.     

First total synthesis of marine alkaloid hyrtiosulawesine

<正>Hyrtiosulawesine was isolated from Indonesian specimens of the marine sponges Hyrtios erectus and H.reticulatu in 2002.We report here the first total synthesis of hyrtiosulawesine using an efficient and convenient synthetic strategy which could be widely used in the synthesis of otherβ-carboline compounds.All structures of new compounds were confirmed by ~1H NMR,~(13)C NMR and HRMS.     

Synthetic studies and biosynthetic speculation on marine alkaloid chartelline

Synthetic studies and biosynthetic speculation on chartelline inspired by an unexpected reaction are described.     

Formal total synthesis of the cytotoxic marine ascidian alkaloid haouamine A

[reaction: see text] Described is a convergent 13-step synthesis of a pentacyclic compound which has previously been transformed into haouamine A, therefore constituting a formal total synthesis of this unique marine alkaloid.     

Investigation of the electrophilic reactivity of the cytotoxic marine alkaloid discorhabdin B

The mechanisms of action of the cytotoxic marine pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids the discorhabdins are unknown. We have determined that discorhabdin B acts as an electrophile towards biomimetic thiol nucleophiles leading to debrominated adducts. In contrast, less potent cytotoxins discorhabdins D and Q failed to react, supporting an SAR model of cytotoxicity requiring an orchestrated combination of an electrophilic Δ(1) carbon centre and a nucleophilic N-18 amine for potent activity. The stereospecific nature of nucleophile trapping exhibited by both enantiomers of discorhabdin B implies the biogenesis of ovothiol A substituted discorhabdins H, H(2), K and K(2) need not be mediated by enzymatic processes.     

Semi-synthesis of bioactive fluorescent analogues of the cytotoxic marine alkaloid discorhabdin C

Semi-synthetic N-13 alkylated analogues of the cytotoxic marine alkaloid discorhabdin C have been found to exhibit cytotoxicity towards tumour cell lines at comparable levels to that of the natural product. Incorporation of an ethylenediamine linker facilitated the synthesis of a variety of fluorophore-labelled probes, of which dansyl analogue 20 exhibited biological activity, providing a tool for mechanism of action and cellular localization studies. An alternative probe design was also exemplified, whereby a bioactive alkyne-terminated analogue (24) was found to undergo Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition ‘click’ reactions with fluorescent azides, enabling studies directed towards activity-based protein profiling.     

First total synthesis of the marine steroid alkaloid plakinamine B

The first total synthesis of the marine steroid alkaloid plakinamine B (1) was accomplished in seven steps starting from known aldehyde 3. Key steps in this synthesis are the attachment of a vinylpyridine side chain by an aldol reaction, a chemoselective reduction of a pyridinium salt to a vinyl tetrahydropyridine, and the introduction of the 3α-methylamino group under Mitsunobu conditions. Plakinamine B and some of its precursors with amino or pyridinium side chains show significant antimicrobial activities.     

Synthetic studies on (+)-manzamine A: stereoselective synthesis of the tetracyclic core framework

The stereoselective synthesis of the tetracyclic intermediate 3 for (+)-manzamine A (1) has been achieved. The key features of this stereoselective synthesis of 3 are the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation and a diastereoselective intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction. The 8-membered ring is efficiently constructed utilizing our Ns-strategy.     

Synthetic studies on Et-743. Assembly of the pentacyclic core and a formal total synthesis

A formal total synthesis of the potent anticancer agent Et-743 is described. The tetrahydroisoquinoline core is stereoselectively constructed using a novel radical cyclization of a glyoxalimine. Further elaboration of this core rapidly accessed the pentacyclic core of Et-743, but a mixture of regiosisomers was obtained in the key Pictet-Spengler ring closure. A known advanced intermediate in the synthesis of Et-743 was intercepted, constituting a formal synthesis of the molecule.     

Synthetic studies on indolocarbazoles: total synthesis of staurosporine aglycon

A synthesis of staurosporine aglycon and its analogs was achieved in a 28-36% overall yield starting from 2-methylindole. The prominent key steps for the synthesis of the indolocarbazole alkaloids involved electrocyclization and nitrene insertion reactions.     

Synthetic studies towards ptilomycalin A: total synthesis of crambescidin 359

A potentially biomimetic synthesis of the guanidine-containing marine natural product crambescidin 359 via a double Michael addition of guanidine to a suitably functionalised bis-enone is reported.     

A total synthesis of the alkaloid deplancheine

The indole alkaloid deplancheine (1) has been synthesised utilising a Witting reaction on the octahydro[2,3-a]quinolizin-2-one (2) itself available in four synthetic steps from readily available materials.     

Synthetic studies toward marine toxic polyethers [5] the total synthesis of okadaic acid

The total synthesis of okadaic acid has been accomplished through the coupling of all the segments, A, B and C, by means ofsulfone-carbanion strategy.     

Synthetic studies on (+)-naphthyridinomycin: stereoselective synthesis of the tetracyclic core framework

[reaction: see text] The stereoselective synthesis of the tetracyclic intermediate 21 for (+)-naphthyridinomycin (1) has been accomplished. The convergent synthesis used the Ugi 4CC reaction with the amine derivative 10. The key features of the stereoselective synthesis of 21 were the intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck reaction, an aromatic-aldehyde cyclization, and a stereoselective hydroboration.     

Synthetic studies on biscembranoids: asymmetric total synthesis of methyl sarcoate

The asymmetric total synthesis of a marine natural product, methyl sarcoate, has been achieved featuring the asymmetric Michael addition, the dithiane coupling, the Kosugi-Migita-Stille coupling, and the ring-closing metathesis.     

Construction of an advanced tetracyclic intermediate for total synthesis of the marine alkaloid sarain A

In work directed toward a total synthesis of the marine alkaloid sarain A (1), the advanced intermediate 54, containing all the key elements and the seven stereogenic centers of sarain A, has been successfully synthesized from bicyclic lactam 4, previously prepared via an intramolecular stereospecific [3 + 2]-azomethine ylide dipolar cycloaddition. Intermediate lactam 4 could be efficiently converted to N-Boc derivative 12. Introduction of a two-carbon fragment into lactam 12 which eventually becomes the C-7',8' syn diol of the "eastern" ring was then achieved by C-acylation of the corresponding enolate with methoxyacetyl chloride followed by a highly stereoselective ketone reduction with Zn(BH4)2 to afford alcohol 16. Intermediate 16 has the incorrect C-7' relative stereochemistry for sarain A, but this problem was conveniently remedied by inverting the C-7' center via an intramolecular Ohfune-type cyclization of the silyl carbamate derived from Boc mesylate 27 to produce the key cyclic carbamate 28. It was then possible to convert acetal 28 to allylsilane 32 followed by cyclization to the alkaloid tricyclic core 33 via an allylsilane/N-sulfonyliminium ion cyclization. Formation of the "western" macrocyclic ring has been successfully addressed using functional group handles at C-3' and N-1' on the tricyclic core via a ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) strategy with the second-generation Grubbs ruthenium catalyst to produce intermediate macrolactam 47. A chelation-controlled addition of ethynylmagnesium bromide to advanced aldehyde 51 afforded a single diastereomeric adduct 53 which is tentatively assigned to have the correct C-7',8' syn-diol stereochemistry. This adduct could be rearranged to the conveniently protected amino carbonate 54 which is set up for construction of the remainder of the eastern ring of sarain A.