Short formal synthesis of (-)-platencin

Semisynthesis and Biological Evaluation of Platencin Thioether Derivatives: Dual FabF and FabH Inhibitors against MRSA

The discovery and clinical use of multitarget monotherapeutic antibiotics is regarded as a promising approach to reduce the development of antibiotic resistance. Platencin (PTN), a potent natural antibiotic initially isolated from a soil actinomycete, targets both FabH and FabF, the initiation and elongation condensing enzymes for bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis. However, its further clinical development has been hampered by poor pharmacokinetics. Herein we report the semisynthesis and biological evaluation of platencin derivatives 1-15 with potent antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. Some of these PTN analogues showed similar yet distinct interactions with FabH and FabF, as shown by molecular docking, differential scanning fluorometry, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Compounds 3, 8, 10, and 14 were further evaluated in a mouse peritonitis model, among which 8 showed in vivo antibacterial activity comparable to that of PTN. Our results suggest that semisynthetic modification of PTN is a rapid route to obtain active PTN derivatives that might be further developed as promising antibiotics against drug-resistant major pathogens.

Short Enantioselective Formal Synthesis of (-)-Platencin

A short enantioselective formal synthesis of the antibiotic natural product platencin is reported. Key steps in the synthesis include enantioselective decarboxylation alkylation, aldehyde/olefin radical cyclization, and regioselective aldol cyclization.

Navigating the Chiral Pool in the Total Synthesis of Complex Terpene Natural Products

The pool of abundant chiral terpene building blocks (i.e., "chiral pool terpenes") has long served as a starting point for the chemical synthesis of complex natural products, including many terpenes themselves. As inexpensive and versatile starting materials, such compounds continue to influence modern synthetic chemistry. This review highlights 21st century terpene total syntheses which themselves use small, terpene-derived materials as building blocks. An outlook to the future of research in this area is highlighted as well.

Scalable synthesis of enaminones utilizing Gold's reagents

Several Gold's reagents were synthesized from cyanuric chloride and N,N-dialkylformamides. These synthetic equivalents of N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal were used in an optimized and scalable procedure for the regioselective synthesis of a variety of enaminones from ketone starting materials, whose utility was demonstrated by the stereoselective synthesis of Rawal-type dienes.

A convergent total synthesis of ouabagenin

A convergent total synthesis of ouabagenin, an aglycon of cardenolide glycoside ouabain, was achieved by assembly of the AB-ring, D-ring and butenolide moieties.

A convergent total synthesis of ouabagenin, an aglycon of cardenolide glycoside ouabain, was achieved by assembly of the AB-ring, D-ring and butenolide moieties. The multiply oxygenated cis-decalin structure of the AB-ring was constructed from (R)-perillaldehyde through the Diels–Alder reaction and sequential oxidations. The intermolecular acetal formation of the AB-ring and D-ring fragments, and combination of the intramolecular radical and aldol reactions, assembled the requisite steroidal skeleton in a stereoselective fashion. Finally, stereoselective installation of the C17-butenolide via the Stille coupling and hydrogenation led to ouabagenin.

A concise formal synthesis of platencin

A formal synthesis of platencin features an organocatalytic approach to the [2.2.2] bicycle, a radical reductive elimination, a Au-catalyzed rearrangement and a Rh-catalyzed hydrosilylation.

Enantioselective synthesis of bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1-carboxylates under metal free conditions

A new tandem reaction permits rapid access to bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1-carboxylates with excellent enantioselectivities under metal free, mild, and operationally simple conditions.

A new route to platencin via decarboxylative radical cyclization

A new approach to platencin, a potent antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces platensis, has been established. The highly congested tricyclic core of the natural product was successfully constructed by decarboxylative radical cyclization of an alkynyl silyl ester with Pb(OAc)4 in the presence of pyridine in refluxing 1,4-dioxane. The key decarboxylation, which likely takes place via lead(IV) esterification followed by carbon-centered radical generation and subsequent capture of the radical with a triple bond, allows the rapid construction of the twisted polycyclic system.

The Construction of All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters by Use of Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation Reactions in Total Synthesis

All-carbon quaternary stereocenters have posed significant challenges in the synthesis of complex natural products. These important structural motifs have inspired the development of broadly applicable palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions of unstabilized non-biased enolates for the synthesis of enantioenriched α-quaternary products. This microreview outlines key considerations in the application of palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions and presents recent total syntheses of complex natural products that have employed these powerful transformations for the direct, catalytic, enantioselective construction of all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.

Constructing molecular complexity and diversity: total synthesis of natural products of biological and medicinal importance

The advent of organic synthesis and the understanding of the molecule as they occurred in the nineteenth century and were refined in the twentieth century constitute two of the most profound scientific developments of all time. These discoveries set in motion a revolution that shaped the landscape of the molecular sciences and changed the world. Organic synthesis played a major role in this revolution through its ability to construct the molecules of the living world and others like them whose primary element is carbon. Although the early beginnings of organic synthesis came about serendipitously, organic chemists quickly recognized its potential and moved decisively to advance and exploit it in myriad ways for the benefit of mankind. Indeed, from the early days of the synthesis of urea and the construction of the first carbon-carbon bond, the art of organic synthesis improved to impressively high levels of sophistication. Through its practice, today chemists can synthesize organic molecules--natural and designed--of all types of structural motifs and for all intents and purposes. The endeavor of constructing natural products--the organic molecules of nature--is justly called both a creative art and an exact science. Often called simply total synthesis, the replication of nature's molecules in the laboratory reflects and symbolizes the state of the art of synthesis in general. In the last few decades a surge in total synthesis endeavors around the world led to a remarkable collection of achievements that covers a wide ranging landscape of molecular complexity and diversity. In this article, we present highlights of some of our contributions in the field of total synthesis of natural products of biological and medicinal importance. For perspective, we also provide a listing of selected examples of additional natural products synthesized in other laboratories around the world over the last few years.

Platensimycin and platencin congeners from Streptomyces platensis

Platensimycin (1a) and platencin (2) are inhibitors of FabF and FabF/H bacterial fatty acid synthase. The discovery of natural congeners is an approach that can render a better understanding of the structure-function relationships of complex natural products. The isolation and structure elucidation of nine new congeners (11-20) of platensimycin and platencin are described from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces platensis. These hydroxylated congeners are likely derived by cytochrome P450 oxidation of the terpenoid units post-cyclization. Polar groups in the terpenoid portion of the molecule produce negative interactions with the hydrophobic pocket of FabF, resulting in poor activities. However, the discovery of these compounds serves an important purpose, not only to understand structure-function relationships, which cannot be easily accessed by chemical modification, but also to provide access to compounds that could be used for structural identification/confirmation of the oxidative trace metabolites produced in vivo during animal experiments.

Syntheses and antibacterial properties of iso-platencin, Cl-iso-platencin and Cl-platencin: identification of a new lead structure

Platencin is a novel antibiotic which is active against multiresistant pathogens. We describe efficient syntheses of three platencin analogues of varying activities which allow further conclusions about the pharmacophoric part of the molecule. The unnatural antibiotic iso-platencin, which is about as active as natural platencin, but much more selective, was identified as a new lead structure.

Synthesis and antibacterial properties of (-)-nor-platencin

An asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction between acrolein and 1-benzyloxymethyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene affords a bicyclic aldehyde that was elaborated in 11 steps to nor-platencin. nor-Platencin is 4-16 times less active than platencin against several resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, macrolide-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.

Total syntheses of (+/-)-platencin and (-)-platencin

The secondary metabolites platensimycin and platencin, isolated from the bacterial strain Streptomyces platensis, represent a novel class of natural products exhibiting unique and potent antibacterial activity. Platencin, though structurally similar to platensimycin, has been found to operate through a slightly different mechanism of action involving the dual inhibition of lipid elongation enzymes FabF and FabH. Both natural products exhibit strong, broad-spectrum, gram-positive antibacterial activity to key antibiotic resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Described herein are our synthetic efforts toward platencin, culminating in both racemic and asymmetric preparation of the natural product. The syntheses demonstrate the power of the cobalt-catalyzed asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction and the one-pot reductive rearrangement of [3.2.1] bicyclic ketones to [2.2.2] bicyclic olefins.

A symmetry-based concise formal synthesis of platencin, a novel lead against "superbugs"

Quick access: A concise and efficient formal synthesis of platencin has been accomplished in nine steps from a commercially available starting material. The synthesis utilized only one protecting group. The base-catalyzed Michael cyclization of precursor 1 afforded the key diketone 2, which was converted into the desired core structure 4 via the radical intermediate 3.

Recent advances in the chemistry and biology of naturally occurring antibiotics

Ever since the world-shaping discovery of penicillin, nature's molecular diversity has been extensively screened for new medications and lead compounds in drug discovery. The search for agents intended to combat infectious diseases has been of particular interest and has enjoyed a high degree of success. Indeed, the history of antibiotics is marked with impressive discoveries and drug-development stories, the overwhelming majority of which have their origin in natural products. Chemistry, and in particular chemical synthesis, has played a major role in bringing naturally occurring antibiotics and their derivatives to the clinic, and no doubt these disciplines will continue to be key enabling technologies. In this review article, we highlight a number of recent discoveries and advances in the chemistry, biology, and medicine of naturally occurring antibiotics, with particular emphasis on total synthesis, analogue design, and biological evaluation of molecules with novel mechanisms of action.

An Enantioselective Synthesis of the ABD Tricycle for (-)-Phomactin A Featuring Rawal's Asymmetric Diels-Alder Cycloaddition

An enantioselective synthesis of the ABD-ring of (-)-phomactin A is described here. The sequence features Rawal's asymmetric Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The overall length is significantly reduced from our previous attempt.