Total Synthesis of Cyclothialidine

A total synthesis of cyclothialidine ( 1 ), a new DNA gyrase inhibitor isolated from Streptomyces filipinensis, is described. The synthetic concept was tested by preparing the lactone 13 (Scheme 2) which contains the characteristic bicyclic core entity of 1 . Key features of the synthesis of 1 are: preparation of 3,5-dihydroxy-2,6-dimethylbenzoic acid ( 23 ) from 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid ( 19 ) by two consecutive Mannich aminomethylation/hydrogenation sequences; benzylic N-bromosuccinimide bromination of an ester derivative 25 thereof and its subsequent coupling with Boc-Ser-Cys-OMe ( 11 ); cyclization of the ω-hydroxy acid 29 29 to the 12-membered lactone 30 using preferably Mitsunobu conditions; completion of the peptidic side chains of 1 using Boc strategy (Scheme 4). Optically pure cis-N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-hydroxy-L -proline ((–)- 14 ) was obtained by resolution of the racemate via an efficient reaction sequence containing a lipase-catalyzed enantiospecific acetate hydrolysis (Scheme 3). The structure of natural 1 was confirmed by comparison with the synthetic material. The synthetic route described provides also easy access to analogues of 1 , e.g., via the intermediate 30 .