Synthesis at the molecular frontier

Evolution of an Efficient and Scalable Nine-Step (Longest Linear Sequence) Synthesis of Zincophorin Methyl Ester

Because of both their synthetically challenging and stereochemically complex structures and their wide range of often clinically relevant biological activities, nonaromatic polyketide natural products have for decades attracted an enormous amount of attention from synthetic chemists and played an important role in the development of modern asymmetric synthesis. Often, such compounds are not available in quantity from natural sources, rendering analogue synthesis and drug development efforts extremely resource-intensive and time-consuming. In this arena, the quest for ever more step-economical and efficient methods and strategies, useful and important goals in their own right, takes on added importance, and the most useful syntheses will combine high levels of step-economy with efficiency and scalability. The nonaromatic polyketide natural product zincophorin methyl ester has attracted significant attention from synthetic chemists due primarily to the historically synthetically challenging C(8)-C(12) all-anti stereopentad. While great progress has been made in the development of new methodologies to more directly address this problem and as a result in the development of more highly step-economical syntheses, a synthesis that combines high levels of step economy with high levels of efficiency and scalability has remained elusive. To address this problem, we have devised a new synthesis of zincophorin methyl ester that proceeds in just nine steps in the longest linear sequence and proceeds in 10% overall yield. Additionally, the scalability and practicability of the route have been demonstrated by performing all of the steps on a meaningful scale. This synthesis thus represents by a significant margin the most step-economical, efficient, and practicable synthesis of this stereochemically complex natural product reported to date, and is well suited to facilitate the synthesis of analogues and medicinal chemistry development efforts in a time- and resource-efficient manner.

A 11-Steps Total Synthesis of Magellanine through a Gold(I)-Catalyzed Dehydro Diels-Alder Reaction

We have developed an innovative strategy for the formation of angular carbocycles via a gold(I)-catalyzed dehydro Diels-Alder reaction. This transformation provides rapid access to a variety of complex angular cores in excellent diastereoselectivities and high yields. The usefulness of this Au^I -catalyzed cycloaddition was further demonstrated by accomplishing a 11-steps total synthesis of (±)-magellanine.

Metal-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerization in natural product total synthesis

Enyne cycloisomerization has become a powerful and attractive strategy for the construction of cyclic compounds, thus possessing great potential for applications in total synthesis of natural products and pharmaceuticals.

Appreciation of symmetry in natural product synthesis

This review defines symmetric molecules from a synthetic perspective and shows various strategies that take advantage of molecular symmetry to construct them.

Natural product analogues: towards a blueprint for analogue-focused synthesis

A review of approaches to natural product analogues leads to the suggestion of new methods for the generation of biologically active natural product-like scaffolds.

Emulating Natural Product Conformation by Cooperative, Non-Covalent Fluorine Interactions

Pervasive in Nature, the propane unit is an essential component of numerous bioactive molecules. These range from acyclic systems, such as the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid, through to the bicyclic nuclei of various chromanes and dihydrobenzofurans. In the latter case, cyclisation via cyclic ether formation ensures a highly pre-organised structure, whilst linear scaffolds display more dynamic conformational behaviour resulting from rotation about the two internal C(sp³ )-C(sp³ ) bonds. In this study, the replacement of -[CH₂ ]- units by -[CHF]- centres is evaluated as a strategy to achieve acyclic conformational control by hindering these internal rotations. Reinforcing, non-covalent fluorine interactions are validated as powerful design features that result in programmable conformational behaviours: These are encoded by the relative configuration of each centre. By exploiting cooperative neighbouring stereoelectronic effects in a multi-vicinal fluoroalkane it is possible to emulate the overall conformation of the dihydrobenzofuran scaffold found in a variety of natural products with an acyclic mimic. This is described as a function of two bond vectors at the chain termini and validated by combined theoretical, crystallographic and spectroscopic analyses. In view of the favourable physicochemical properties associated with fluorine introduction, this approach to bioactive scaffold design may prove to be expansive.

New Insights into the Biosynthetic Logic of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptide Natural Products

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large group of structurally diverse natural products. Their biological activities and unique biosynthetic pathways have sparked a growing interest in RiPPs. Furthermore, the relatively low genetic complexity associated with RiPP biosynthesis makes them excellent candidates for synthetic biology applications. This Review highlights recent developments in the understanding of the biosynthesis of several bacterial RiPP family members, the use of the RiPP biosynthetic machinery for generating novel macrocyclic peptides, and the implementation of tools designed to guide the discovery and characterization of novel RiPPs.

Synthesis of HIV-1 capsid protein assembly inhibitor (CAP-1) and its analogues based on a biomass approach

A biomass-derived platform chemical was utilized to access a demanded pharmaceutical substance with anti-HIV activity (HIV, human immunodeficiency virus) and a variety of structural analogues. Step economy in the synthesis of the drug core (single stage from cellulose) is studied including flexible variability of four structural units. The first synthesis and X-ray structure of the inhibitor of HIV-1 capsid protein assembly (CAP-1) is described.

Combining Ru-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization with Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation: Synthesis of 3-Allyl-3-aryl Oxindole Derivatives from Aryl α-Diazoamides

Ruthenium-catalyzed C-H functionalization was successfully combined with palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation in one pot. The novel dual-metal-catalyzed reaction provides a variety of 3-allyl-3-aryl oxindoles from the corresponding α-diazoamides in up to 99% yield with up to 85% ee. The appropriate ligand choice is important to promote the sequential reaction, avoiding undesired metal interaction or ligand exchange.

Enantioselective allylic alkylation of stereodefined polysubstituted copper enolates as an entry to acyclic quaternary carbon stereocentres

A sequence of regio- and stereoselective carbometalation followed by oxidation of ynamides leads to stereodefined fully substituted enolates that subsequently react with various functionalized allyl bromide reagents to provide the enantiomerically pure quaternary carbon stereocentre in the α-position to the carbonyl group.

A sequence of regio- and stereoselective carbometalation followed by oxidation of ynamides leads to stereodefined fully substituted enolates that subsequently react with various functionalized allyl bromide reagents to provide the expected products possessing an enantiomerically pure quaternary carbon stereocentre in the α-position to the carbonyl group in excellent yields and enantiomeric ratios after cleavage of the oxazolidinone moiety. Three new bonds are formed in a single-pot operation.

Diastereodivergent combined carbometalation/zinc homologation/C-C fragmentation reaction as an efficient tool to prepare acyclic allylic quaternary carbon stereocenters

A new strategy has been developed to construct enantiomerically enriched acyclic allylic quaternary carbon stereocenters in a single-pot operation through a combined carbometalation/zinc homologation/fragmentation sequence. Proper tuning of the reaction conditions enables the synthesis of the two enantiomers starting from a single enantiomer of the starting material.

Divergent synthesis and identification of the cellular targets of deoxyelephantopins

Herbal extracts containing sesquiterpene lactones have been extensively used in traditional medicine and are known to be rich in α,β-unsaturated functionalities that can covalently engage target proteins. Here we report synthetic methodologies to access analogues of deoxyelephantopin, a sesquiterpene lactone with anticancer properties. Using alkyne-tagged cellular probes and quantitative proteomics analysis, we identified several cellular targets of deoxyelephantopin. We further demonstrate that deoxyelephantopin antagonizes PPARγ activity in situ via covalent engagement of a cysteine residue in the zinc-finger motif of this nuclear receptor.

Deoxyelephantopin is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone with known anticancer properties. Here, the authors synthesize deoxyelephantopins and a range of analogues including alkyne-tagged probes, using them to identify its cellular targets.

Biosynthesis and molecular engineering of templated natural products

Bioactive small molecules that are produced by living organisms, often referred to as natural products (NPs), historically play a critical role in the context of both medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. How nature creates these chemical entities with stunning structural complexity and diversity using a limited range of simple substrates has not been fully understood. Focusing on two types of NPs that share a highly evolvable ‘template’-biosynthetic logic, we here provide specific examples to highlight the conceptual and technological leaps in NP biosynthesis and witness the area of progress since the beginning of the twenty-first century. The biosynthesis of polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides and their hybrids that share an assembly-line enzymology of modular multifunctional proteins exemplifies an extended ‘central dogma’ that correlates the genotype of catalysts with the chemotype of products; in parallel, post-translational modifications of ribosomally synthesized peptides involve a number of unusual biochemical mechanisms for molecular maturation. Understanding the biosynthetic processes of these templated NPs would largely facilitate the design, development and utilization of compatible biosynthetic machineries to address the challenge that often arises from structural complexity to the accessibility and efficiency of current chemical synthesis.

Enantioselective synthesis of Iboga alkaloids and vinblastine via rearrangements of quaternary ammoniums

An efficient and novel strategy for the enantioselective syntheses of various iboga alkaloids has been developed. The salient features include a gold-catalyzed oxidation of a terminal alkyne followed by cyclization, a Stevens rearrangement and a tandem sequence that combines the gold-catalyzed oxidation, cyclization and [1,2]-shift. The catharanthine analogs provided by our approach were further converted to the vinca alkaloid vinblastine and its analogs, which confirmed the remarkable sensitivity of the cytotoxicity to the C20' substituent of vinblastine.

Auto-Tandem Catalysis in Ionic Liquids: Synthesis of 2-Oxazolidinones by Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Carbonylation of Propargylic Amines in EmimEtSO₄

A convenient carbonylative approach to 2-oxazolidinone derivatives carried out using an ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate, EmimEtSO₄) as the solvent is presented. It is based on the sequential concatenation of two catalytic cycles, both catalyzed by the same metal species (auto-tandem catalysis): the first cycle corresponds to the oxidative monoaminocarbonylation of the triple bond of propargylic amines to give the corresponding 2-ynamide intermediates, while the second one involves the cyclocarbonylation of the latter to yield 2-(2-oxooxazolidin-5-ylidene)-acetamides. Reactions are carried out using a simple catalytic system consisting of PdI₂ in conjunction with an excess of KI, and the catalyst/solvent system could be recycled several times without appreciable loss of activity after extraction of the organic product with Et₂O.

Marine Invertebrate Metabolites with Anticancer Activities: Solutions to the "Supply Problem"

Marine invertebrates provide a rich source of metabolites with anticancer activities and several marine-derived agents have been approved for the treatment of cancer. However, the limited supply of promising anticancer metabolites from their natural sources is a major hurdle to their preclinical and clinical development. Thus, the lack of a sustainable large-scale supply has been an important challenge facing chemists and biologists involved in marine-based drug discovery. In the current review we describe the main strategies aimed to overcome the supply problem. These include: marine invertebrate aquaculture, invertebrate and symbiont cell culture, culture-independent strategies, total chemical synthesis, semi-synthesis, and a number of hybrid strategies. We provide examples illustrating the application of these strategies for the supply of marine invertebrate-derived anticancer agents. Finally, we encourage the scientific community to develop scalable methods to obtain selected metabolites, which in the authors' opinion should be pursued due to their most promising anticancer activities.

Biological activity of the bryostatin analog Merle 23 on mouse epidermal cells and mouse skin

Bryostatin 1, a complex macrocyclic lactone, is the subject of multiple clinical trials for cancer chemotherapy. Although bryostatin 1 biochemically functions like the classic mouse skin tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to bind to and activate protein kinase C, paradoxically, it fails to induce many of the typical phorbol ester responses, including tumor promotion. Intense synthetic efforts are currently underway to develop simplified bryostatin analogs that preserve the critical functional features of bryostatin 1, including its lack of tumor promoting activity. The degree to which bryostatin analogs maintain the unique pattern of biological behavior of bryostatin 1 depends on the specific cellular system and the specific response. Merle 23 is a significantly simplified bryostatin analog that retains bryostatin like activity only to a limited extent. Here, we show that in mouse epidermal cells the activity of Merle 23 was either similar to bryostatin 1 or intermediate between bryostatin 1 and PMA, depending on the specific parameter examined. We then examined the hyperplastic and tumor promoting activity of Merle 23 on mouse skin. Merle 23 showed substantially reduced hyperplasia and was not tumor promoting at a dose comparable to that for PMA. These results suggest that there may be substantial flexibility in the design of bryostatin analogs that retain its lack of tumor promoting activity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Concise Total Synthesis of Dehaloperophoramidine

Perophoramidine, dehaloperophoramidine, and communesin F are structurally related alkaloids having intriguing polycyclic structures. A strategy for the synthesis of dehaloperophoramidine has been developed. In this synthesis all skeletal atoms and all functional groups required to reach the target molecule are incorporated early in the sequence. This approach led to the discovery of two novel substrate-specific domino processes, one encompassing four steps and the other comprising five steps, thus resulting in an eight-step synthesis of dehaloperophoramidine.

One Photocatalyst, n Activation Modes Strategy for Cascade Catalysis: Emulating Coumarin Biosynthesis with (-)-Riboflavin

Generating molecular complexity using a single catalyst, where the requisite activation modes are sequentially exploited as the reaction proceeds, is an attractive guiding principle in synthesis. This requires that each substrate transposition exposes a catalyst activation mode (AM) to which all preceding or future intermediates are resistant. While this concept is exemplified by MacMillan's beautiful merger of enamine and iminium ion activation, examples in other fields of contemporary catalysis remain elusive. Herein, we extend this tactic to organic photochemistry. By harnessing the two discrete photochemical activation modes of (-)-riboflavin, it is possible to sequentially induce isomerization and cyclization by energy transfer (ET) and single-electron transfer (SET) activation pathways, respectively. This catalytic approach has been utilized to emulate the coumarin biosynthesis pathway, which features a key photochemical E → Z isomerization step. Since the ensuing SET-based cyclization eliminates the need for a prefunctionalized aryl ring, this constitutes a novel disconnection of a pharmaceutically important scaffold.

Green chemistry oriented multi-component strategy to hybrid heterocycles

An oxindole decorated 4H-chromene scaffold has been synthesized in water under catalyst-free reaction conditions at ambient temperature by integrating the guiding principles of Diversity Oriented Synthesis (DOS) and green chemistry.

Concise synthesis of (+)-fastigiatine

(+)-Fastigiatine was assembled in six steps from (R)-5-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one. Intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction introduced most of the carbon atoms for the target. The two Boc-protected nitrogen atom building blocks were introduced by a Suzuki coupling and a cuprate addition. A biomimetic transannular Mannich reaction generated the two quaternary centers at a late stage. Each step builds core bonds, and combined with a minimalist protecting group strategy, this approach led to a very concise synthesis.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Stereoselective Intramolecular [5 + 2] Cycloaddition of 3-Acyloxy 1,4-Enyne and Alkene

The first rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular [5 + 2] cycloaddition of 3-acyloxy 1,4-enyne and alkene was developed. The cycloaddition is highly diastereoselective in most cases. Various cis-fused bicyclo[5.3.0]decadienes were prepared stereoselectively. The chirality in the propargylic ester starting materials could be transferred to the bicyclic products with high efficiency. Electron-deficient phosphine ligand greatly facilitated the cycloaddition. Up to three new stereogenic centers could be generated. The resulting diene in the products could be hydrolyzed to enones, which allowed the introduction of more functional groups to the seven-membered ring.