Synthesis of des-n-tetramethyltriostin a from C-terminal Z-d-serine tetra-and octadepsipeptide intermediates

Des-N-tetramethyltriostin A (1), a known DNA-intercalation agent, has been synthesized from tetra- and octapeptide intermediates that have Z-d-serine at the C-terminal position. The procedure thus allows the fragment coupling and cyclization reactions leading to the synthesis of the title compound to occur without racemization at the C-terminal amino acid. Esterification of Boc-Val-OH with the p-bromophenacyl ester of Z-d-serine provided didepsipeptide Z-d-Ser(Boc-Val)-OBpa (4). Stepwise addition of the requisite amino acids provided tetradepsipeptide Z-d-Ser[Boc-Ala-Cys(Acm)-Val]-OBpa (6). Fragment coupling of the respective C- and N-deprotected tetradepsipeptides 7 and 8, derived from 6, furnished linear octadepsipeptide 9, which upon cyclization and disulfide formation gave the bicyclic octadepsipeptide 11, a known synthetic precursor to 1. The degree of racemization incurred in the alanine and valine residues of selected depsipeptides was measured and the results compared with those obtained in previous studies. It was concluded that alanine, perhaps because of sequence effects, undergoes a degree of racemization (4–10%) during hydrolysis of tetradepsipeptide 6 and octadepsipeptide 9.