Two remarkable epimerizations imperative for the success of an asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-aigialospirol

Two remarkable epimerization processes were uncovered during our pursuit of an enantioselective synthesis of(+)-aigialospirol featuring a cyclic acetal tethered ring-closing metathesis.Through modeling,we were able to turn these two unexpected epimerizations to our advantage via modeling to ensure a successful and concise total synthesis,thereby firmly establishing cyclic acetal tethered RCM as a powerful strategy in natural product synthesis.Most importantly,calculations allowed us to fully understand the ...     

An improved procedure for N- to C-directed (Inverse) solid-phase peptide synthesis

A method for solid-phase peptide synthesis in the N- to C-direction that delivers good coupling yields and a low degree of epimerization is reported. The optimized method involves the coupling, without preactivation, of the resin-bound C-terminal amino acid with excess amounts of amino acid tri-tert-butoxysilyl (Sil) esters, using HATU as coupling reagent and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (TMP, collidine) as a base. For the amino acids investigated, the degree of epimerization was typically 5%, except for Ser(t-Bu) which was more easily epimerized (ca. 20%). Five tripeptides (AA(1)-AA(2)-AA(3)) with different properties were used as representative model peptides in the development of the synthetic method: Asp-Leu-Glu, Leu-Ala-Phe, Glu-Asp-Val, Asp-Ser-Ile, and Asp-D-Glu-Leu. The study used different combinations of HATU and TBTU as activating agents, N, N-diisopropylethylamine (DIEA) and TMP as bases, DMF and dichloromethane as solvents, and cupric chloride as an epimerization suppressant. The epimerization of AA(2) in the coupling of AA(3) was further reduced in the presence of cupric chloride. However, the use of this reagent also resulted in a decrease in loading onto the resin and significant cleavage between AA(1) and AA(2). Experiments indicated that the observed suppressing effect of cupric chloride on epimerization in the present system merely seemed to be a result of a base-induced cleavage of the oxazolone system, the key intermediate in the epimerization process. Consequently, the cleavages were most pronounced in slow couplings. An improved synthesis of fully characterized amino acid tri-tert-butoxysilyl (Sil) ester hydrochloride building blocks is presented. The amino acid Sil esters were found to be stable as hydrochlorides but not as free bases. Although only a few peptides have been used in this study, we believe that the facile procedure devised herein should provide an attractive alternative for the solid-phase synthesis of short (six residues or less) C-terminally modified peptides, e.g., in library format.     

Synthetic studies towards Pseudoxylallemycin B,an antibiotic active against gram-negative bacteria: Total synthesis of 3-epi-Pseudoxylallemycin B

In an attempt towards the total synthesis of Pseudoxylallemycin B, a homo dimeric, N-methylated macrocyclic tetrapeptidic natural product, synthesis of its epimer at position 3 (d-Tyr instead of l-Tyr) is described here. During the course of synthesis we came across a striking yet unusual observation of complete epimerization which led to the formation of 3-epi-Pseudoxylallemycin B.     

Synthesis of (-)-tetrodotoxin: preparation of an advanced cyclohexenone intermediate

The preparation of an advanced intermediate toward the enantioselective synthesis of tetrodotoxin is outlined. The enantiomerically pure cyclopentene 15 was generated from ketone 14 by alkylidene carbene insertion with retention of absolute configuration. An ozonolysis/aldol sequence first produced the trans cyclohexenone, which upon epimerization gave the more stable cis enone 18.     

Synthesis of an Enantiomerically Pure Serine-Derived Thiazole

Previously reported methods for preparing enantiomerically pure thiazoles are inadequate for the synthesis of inherently labile O-alkyl serine-derived thiazoles. The intermediateN-Boc-(O-methylseryl) thiazolines are very susceptible to tautomerization, even under neutral conditions (Scheme 5). Herein, it is demonstrated that the choice of N-protecting group is critical to the preservation of enantiomeric purity. Thus, using an N-trityl protecting group, O-methyl serine was converted to the corresponding N-Boc-(O-methylseryl) thiazole 3 with no appreciable epimerization as indicated by (19)F and (1)H NMR of the corresponding Mosher's amide.     

An enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-aigialospirol

A concise and enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-aigialospirol is described here, featuring the first complex natural product synthesis that employs a cyclic ketal-tethered ring-closing metathesis strategy and an unexpected stereoselective epimerization of a benzylic hydroxyl group. The 15-step synthetic sequence illustrates the proof-of-concept that such an approach can be competitive with the classical spiroketal formation in the natural product synthesis.     

Inverse Peptide Synthesis via Activated α‐Aminoesters

A mild, practical, and simple procedure for peptide‐bond formation is reported. Instead of activation of the carboxylic acid functionality, the reaction involves an unprecedented use of activated α‐aminoesters. The method provides a straightforward entry to dipeptides and was effective when a sensitive cysteine residue was used, as no epimerization was detected in this case. The applicability of this method to iterative peptide synthesis was illustrated by the synthesis of a model tetrapeptide in the challenging reverse N→C direction.     

Efficient Amide Bond Formation through a Rapid and Strong Activation of Carboxylic Acids in a Microflow Reactor

The development of highly efficient amide bond forming methods which are devoid of side reactions, including epimerization, is important, and such a method is described herein and is based on the concept of rapid and strong activation of carboxylic acids. Various carboxylic acids are rapidly (0.5 s) converted into highly active species, derived from the inexpensive and less‐toxic solid triphosgene, and then rapidly (4.3 s) reacted with various amines to afford the desired peptides in high yields (74 %–quant.) without significant epimerization (≤3 %). Our process can be carried out at ambient temperature, and only CO₂ and HCl salts of diisopropylethyl amine are generated. In the long history of peptide synthesis, a significant number of active coupling reagents have been abandoned because the highly active electrophilic species generated are usually susceptible to side reactions such as epimerization. The concept presented herein should renew interest in the use of these reagents.     

Epimerization of Glycal Derivatives by a Cyclopentadienylruthenium Catalyst: Application to Metalloenzymatic DYKAT

Epimerization of a non‐anomeric stereogenic center in carbohydrates is an important transformation in the synthesis of natural products. In this study an epimerization procedure of the allylic alcohols of glycals by cyclopentadienylruthenium catalyst 1 is presented. The epimerization of 4,6‐O‐benzylidene‐D ‐glucal 4 in toluene is rapid, and an equlibrium with its D ‐allal epimer 5 is established within 5 min at room temperature. Exchange rates for allal and glucal formation were determined by 1D ¹H EXSY NMR experiments to be 0.055 s^?1 and 0.075 s^?1, respectively. For 4‐O‐benzyl‐L ‐rhamnal 8 the epimerization was less rapid and four days of epimerization was required to achieve equilibration of the epimers at room temperature. The epimerization methodology was subsequently combined with acylating enzymes in a dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT), giving stereoselective acylation to the desired stereoisomers 12 , 13 , and 15 . The net effect of this process is an inversion of a stereogenic center on the glycal, and yields ranging from 71 % to 83 % of the epimer were obtained.     

Enhanced epimerization of glycosylated amino acids during solid-phase peptide synthesis

Glycopeptides are extremely useful for basic research and clinical applications, but access to structurally defined glycopeptides is limited by the difficulties in synthesizing this class of compounds. In this study, we demonstrate that many common peptide coupling conditions used to prepare O-linked glycopeptides result in substantial amounts of epimerization at the α position. In fact, epimerization resulted in up to 80% of the non-natural epimer, indicating that it can be the major product in some reactions. Through a series of mechanistic studies, we demonstrate that the enhanced epimerization relative to nonglycosylated amino acids is due to a combination of factors, including a faster rate of epimerization, an energetic preference for the unnatural epimer over the natural epimer, and a slower overall rate of peptide coupling. In addition, we demonstrate that use of 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (TMP) as the base in peptide couplings produces glycopeptides with high efficiency and low epimerization. The information and improved reaction conditions will facilitate the preparation of glycopeptides as therapeutic compounds and vaccine antigens.     

Depsipeptide methodology for solid-phase peptide synthesis: circumventing side reactions and development of an automated technique via depsidipeptide units

The depsipeptide technique is a recently developed method for peptide synthesis which is applicable to difficult sequences when the synthetic difficulty arises because of aggregation phenomena. In the present work, application of the depsipeptide method to extremely difficult sequences has been demonstrated and a serious side reaction involving diketopiperazine formation uncovered and subsequently avoided by the appropriate use of the Bsmoc protecting group. Many other aspects of the technique have been investigated, such as the stability of the depsi units during assembly and workup procedures, the completeness of the O-acylation step, the occurrence of epimerization of the amino acid activated during O-acylation, and the nature of side products formed. In addition, the method was modified so as to allow for completely automated syntheses of long-chain depsipeptides without the need for any interruption by manual esterification procedures. Finally, the synthesis efficiency of the new depsipeptide technique was shown to be comparable to that of the well-known pseudoproline technique.     

Synthesis and properties of 5-cyano-substituted nucleoside analog with a donor-donor-acceptor hydrogen-bonding pattern

6-Aminopyridin-2-ones form Watson-Crick pairs with complementary purine analogues to add a third nucleobase pair to DNA and RNA, if an electron-withdrawing group at position 5 slows oxidation and epimerization. In previous work with a nucleoside analogue trivially named dZ, the electron withdrawing unit was a nitro group. Here, we describe an analogue of dZ (cyano-dZ) having a cyano group instead of a nitro group, including its synthesis, pK(a), rates of acid-catalyzed epimerization, and enzymatic incorporation.     

Total synthesis of (-)-raumacline

The total synthesis of (-)-raumacline from L-tryptophan was achieved, featuring a cis-specific Pictet-Spengler reaction, a stereoselective Dieckmann cyclization, and an epimerization step that allowed complete stereocontrol of five chiral centres.     

General approach for the synthesis of chiral perylenequinones via catalytic enantioselective oxidative biaryl coupling

By using oxygen as the terminal oxidant, copper complexes derived from chiral 1,5-diaza-cis-decalin catalyze the enantioselective oxidative biaryl coupling of highly functionalized naphthols to provide octa- and decasubstituted binaphthalenes with high selectivity (86-90% ee). Products containing very electron-rich naphthalenes were prone to epimerization under the reaction conditions. This epimerization could be suppressed by employing naphthol starting materials with phenol protecting groups that attenuated the electron-rich nature of the naphthalenes. Direct oxidation of the resultant chiral 1,1'-binaphthol framework completed the first asymmetric synthesis of a perylenequinone containing only an axial chirality element.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Sarcophytin

A total synthesis of the cembranoid (+)‐sarcophytin is presented, featuring a Diels–Alder cycloaddition of an enone as the dienophile with an ester‐derived dienoate. The study highlights a peculiar geometric preference for the Z dienoate to furnish the cycloadduct. The endgame involves a reaction cascade, including lactone opening, alcohol oxidation, and ketone epimerization to complete an efficient synthesis. A salient feature of the synthesis is the resulting reassignment of the absolute configuration, which corrects the previously reported nominal structure.     

Suppression of epimerization due to selectivity leakage: an application towards the total synthesis of (−)-centrolobine

An InCl₃-mediated Prins cyclization of homoallylic alcohols with aldehydes has been established. The enantioselectivities of the trisubstituted tetrahydropyrans are almost retained through the suppression of epimerization. The synthetic value of this protocol is demonstrated by the total synthesis of (−)-centrolobine.     

An N-acyliminium cyclization approach to a total synthesis of (+)-cylindricine C

[reaction: see text] Details of problems and solutions encountered during the development of an enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-cylindricine C are described here. The total synthesis itself was accomplished in 8 steps, featuring an N-acyliminium cyclization strategy, the seldom-used Wharton rearrangement, and a key epimerization at C5.     

Simple Designs for the Construction of Complex Trans-Fused Polyether Toxin Frameworks. A Convergent Strategy Based on Hydroxy Ketone Cyclization of C-Linked Oxacycles

A single, unified convergent strategy for the stereocontrolled synthesis of trans-fused polyethers was developed. It was demonstrated that the epimerization and reductive intramolecular coupling of hydroxy ketones in reactions with silane-Lewis acids (SI-LA) to generate ethers in C-linked oxacycles is affected by its conformational preference in a predictable manner. The obtained results make evident that the influence of hydrogen bonding between a hemiketal hydroxyl and a 1,3-diaxial C-O bond is regular and predictable and that convergent synthesis of trans-fused polyethers may confidently be conducted on driving ring closure to oxane rings under thermodynamic conditions     

Structure and function of GDP-mannose-3',5'-epimerase: an enzyme which performs three chemical reactions at the same active site

GDP-mannose-3',5'-epimerase (GME) from Arabidopsis thaliana catalyzes the epimerization of both the 3' and 5' positions of GDP-alpha-D-mannose to yield GDP-beta-L-galactose. Production of the C5' epimer of GDP-alpha-D-mannose, GDP-beta-L-gulose, has also been reported. The reaction occurs as part of vitamin C biosynthesis in plants. We have determined structures of complexes of GME with GDP-alpha-D-mannose, GDP-beta-L-galactose, and a mixture of GDP-beta-L-gulose with GDP-beta-L-4-keto-gulose to resolutions varying from 2.0 to 1.4 A. The enzyme has the classical extended short-chain dehydratase/reductase (SDR) fold. We have confirmed that GME establishes an equilibrium between two products, GDP-beta-L-galactose and GDP-beta-L-gulose. The reaction proceeds by C4' oxidation of GDP-alpha-D-mannose followed by epimerization of the C5' position to give GDP-beta-L-4-keto-gulose. This intermediate is either reduced to give GDP-beta-L-gulose or the C3' position is epimerized to give GDP-beta-L-4-keto-galactose, then C4' is reduced to GDP-beta-L-galactose. The combination of oxidation, epimerization, and reduction in a single active site is unusual. Structural analysis coupled to site-directed mutagenesis suggests C145 and K217 as the acid/base pair responsible for both epimerizations. On the basis of the structure of the GDP-beta-L-gulose/GDP-beta-L-4-keto-gulose co-complex, we predict that a ring flip occurs during the first epimerization and that a boat intermediate is likely for the second epimerization. Comparison of GME with other SDR enzymes known to abstract a protein alpha to the keto function of a carbohydrate identifies key common features.     

Toward fully synthetic glycoproteins by ultimately convergent routes: a solution to a long-standing problem

A method is disclosed for the convergent synthesis of multiply glycosylated peptides. The approach centers on a convergent technique for generating masked, complex glycopeptide-containing C-terminal acyl donors. Activation of the latent donor in situ and use directly in segment coupling with a second peptide bearing a complex carbohydrate produces a completely unprotected, bifunctional glycopeptide. The system demonstrates a minimum level of hydrolysis and epimerization at the C-terminal amino acid residue of the acyl donor during fully convergent segment coupling and is therefore a powerful tool for the synthesis of glycoproteins.