Total Synthesis of Gambierol: The Generation of the A–C and F–H Subunits by Using a C-Glycoside Centered Strategy

1,5-Hydrogen Atom Transfer/Surzur-Tanner Rearrangement: A Radical Cascade Approach for the Synthesis of 1,6-Dioxaspiro[4.5]decane and 6,8-Dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane Scaffolds in Carbohydrate Systems

The 1,5-HAT–1,2-(ester)alkyl radical migration (Surzur–Tanner rearrangement) radical/polar sequence triggered by alkoxyl radicals has been studied on a series of C-glycosyl substrates with 3-C-(α,β-d,l-glycopyranosyl)1-propanol and C-(α-d,l-glycopyranosyl)methanol structures prepared from chiral pool d- and l-sugar. The use of acetoxy and diphenoxyphosphatoxy as leaving groups provides an efficient construction of 10-deoxy-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.5]decane and 4-deoxy-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane frameworks. The alkoxyl radicals were generated by the reaction of the corresponding N-alkoxyphthalimides with group 14 hydrides [n-Bu₃SnH(D) and (TMS)₃SiH], and in comparative terms, the reaction was also initiated by visible light photocatalysis using the Hantzsch ester/fac-Ir(ppy)₃ procedure. Special attention was devoted to the influence of the relative stereochemistry of the centers involved in the radical sequence on the reaction outcome. The addition of BF₃•Et₂O as a catalyst to the radical sequence resulted in a significant increase in the yields of the desired bicyclic ketals.

Stereodivergent approach in the protected glycal synthesis of L-vancosamine, L-saccharosamine, L-daunosamine and L-ristosamine involving a ring-closing metathesis step

In this paper, a new access to several chiral 3-aminoglycals as potential precursors for glycosylated natural products is reported from a common starting material, (-)-methyl-L-lactate. The stereodivergent strategy is based on the implementation of a ring-closing metathesis of vinyl ethers as key step of reaction sequences developed.

Synthetic efforts towards the stereoselective synthesis of NF00659B1

NF00659B₁ is a novel α-pyrone diterpenoid natural product with potent anti-colon cancer activity. A stereoselective approach to the 2,2-dimethyl oxepanol core of NF00659B₁ is described enlisting a sequence of olefinic ester ring-closing metathesis, epoxidation, and Grignard addition. This strategy paves the way to a total synthesis of NF00659B₁ for further biological studies.

Recent applications in natural product synthesis of dihydrofuran and -pyran formation by ring-closing alkene metathesis

Examples from 2003 to 2015 of ring-closing alkene metathesis (RCM) in the generation of dihydro-furans or -pyrans for natural product synthesis, are reviewed.

Concise synthesis of the A/BCD-ring fragment of gambieric acid A

Gambieric acid A (GAA) and its congeners belong to the family of marine polycyclic ether natural products. Their highly complex molecular architecture and unique biological activities have been of intense interest within the synthetic community. We have previously reported the first total synthesis, stereochemical reassignment, and preliminary structure–activity relationships of GAA. Here we disclose a concise synthesis of the A/BCD-ring fragment of GAA. The synthesis started from our previously reported synthetic intermediate that represents the A/B-ring. The C-ring was synthesized via an oxiranyl anion coupling and a 6-endo cyclization, and the D-ring was forged by means of an oxidative lactonization and subsequent palladium-catalyzed functionalization of the lactone ring. In this manner, the number of linear synthetic steps required for the construction of the C- and D-rings was reduced from 22 to 11.

Recent applications of the hetero Diels–Alder reaction in the total synthesis of natural products

The synthetic utility and potential power of the Diels–Alder (D–A) reaction in organic chemistry is evident.

Total synthesis and complete structural assignment of gambieric acid A, a large polycyclic ether marine natural product

More than thirty years after the discovery of polycyclic ether marine natural products, they continue to receive intense attention from the chemical, biological, and pharmacological communities because of their potent biological activities and highly complex molecular architectures. Gambieric acids are intriguing polycyclic ethers that exhibit potent antifungal activity with minimal toxicity against mammals. Despite the recent advances in the synthesis of this class of natural products, gambieric acids remain unconquered due to their daunting structural complexity, which poses a formidable synthetic challenge to organic chemists. This paper reviews our long-term studies on the total synthesis, complete configurational reassignment, and structure-activity relationships of gambieric acid A over the last decade.

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of (+)-gambieric acid A and its analogues

In this study, we report the first total synthesis and complete stereostructure of gambieric acid A, a potent antifungal polycyclic ether metabolite, in detail. The A/B-ring exocyclic enol ether 32 was prepared through a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the B-ring vinyl iodide 18 and the alkylborate 33 and subsequent closure of the A-ring by using diastereoselective bromoetherification as the key transformation. Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of 32 with acetate-derived enol phosphate 49, followed by ring-closing metathesis of the derived diene, produced the D-ring. Subsequent closure of the C-ring through a mixed thioacetalization completed the synthesis of the A/BCD-ring fragment 8. The A/BCD- and F'GHIJ-ring fragments (i.e., 8 and 9) were assembled through Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. The C25 stereogenic center was elaborated by exploiting the intrinsic conformational property of the seven-membered F'-ring. After the oxidative cleavage of the F'-ring, the E-ring was formed as a cyclic mixed thioacetal (i.e., 70) and then stereoselectively allylated by using glycosylation chemistry. Ring-closing metathesis of the diene 3 thus obtained closed the F-ring and completed the polycyclic ether skeleton. Finally, the J-ring side chain was introduced by using a Julia-Kocienski olefination in the presence of CeCl3 to complete the total synthesis of gambieric acid A (1), thereby unambiguously establishing its complete stereostructure. The present total synthesis enabled us to evaluate the antifungal and antiproliferative activities of 1 and several synthetic analogues.

Bioactives from microalgal dinoflagellates

Dinoflagellate microalgae are an important source of marine biotoxins. Bioactives from dinoflagellates are attracting increasing attention because of their impact on the safety of seafood and potential uses in biomedical, toxicological and pharmacological research. Here we review the potential applications of dinoflagellate toxins and the methods for producing them. Only sparing quantities of dinoflagellate toxins are generally available and this hinders bioactivity characterization and evaluation in possible applications. Approaches to production of increased quantities of dinoflagellate bioactives are discussed. Although many dinoflagellates are fragile and grow slowly, controlled culture in bioreactors appears to be generally suitable for producing many of the metabolites of interest.

Sonogashira-Hagihara reactions of halogenated glycals

Herein, we report on our findings of the Sonogashira-Hagihara reaction with 1-iodinated and 2-brominated glycals using several aromatic and aliphatic alkynes. This Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction presents a facile access to alkynyl C-glycosides and sets the stage for a reductive/oxidative refunctionalization of the enyne moiety to regenerate either C-glycosidic structures or pyran derivatives with a substituent in position 2.

Design and synthesis of skeletal analogues of gambierol: attenuation of amyloid-β and tau pathology with voltage-gated potassium channel and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor implications

Gambierol is a potent neurotoxin that belongs to the family of marine polycyclic ether natural products and primarily targets voltage-gated potassium channels (K(v) channels) in excitable membranes. Previous work in the chemistry of marine polycyclic ethers has suggested the critical importance of the full length of polycyclic ether skeleton for potent biological activity. Although we have previously investigated structure-activity relationships (SARs) of the peripheral functionalities of gambierol, it remained unclear whether the whole polycyclic ether skeleton is needed for its cellular activity. In this work, we designed and synthesized two truncated skeletal analogues of gambierol comprising the EFGH- and BCDEFGH-rings of the parent compound, both of which surprisingly showed similar potency to gambierol on voltage-gated potassium channels (K(v)) inhibition. Moreover, we examined the effect of these compounds in an in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) obtained from triple transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice, which expresses amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation and tau hyperphosphorylation. In vitro preincubation of the cells with the compounds resulted in significant inhibition of K(+) currents, a reduction in the extra- and intracellular levels of Aβ, and a decrease in the levels of hyperphosphorylated tau. In addition, pretreatment with these compounds reduced the steady-state level of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2A without affecting the 2B subunit. The involvement of glutamate receptors was further suggested by the blockage of the effect of gambierol on tau hyperphosphorylation by glutamate receptor antagonists. The present study constitutes the first discovery of skeletally simplified, designed polycyclic ethers with potent cellular activity and demonstrates the utility of gambierol and its synthetic analogues as chemical probes for understanding the function of K(v) channels as well as the molecular mechanism of Aβ metabolism modulated by NMDA receptors.

A synergistic approach to polycyclics via a strategic utilization of Claisen rearrangement and olefin metathesis

Olefin metathesis promoted by a well-defined metal carbene complex has evolved into an efficient method for the construction of a broad range of carbocyclic and heterocyclic rings of varying size. The synthetic potential of the olefin metathesis has been further increased by combining various other C-C bond forming processes either in tandem or in sequence. Herein, application of Claisen rearrangement and olefin metathesis to prepare various intricate and/or biologically important targets has been described.

Visible Light Photocatalysis of Radical Anion Hetero-Diels-Alder Cycloadditions

We have discovered a photocatalytic intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of tethered bis(enones). This transformation involves the intermediacy of an enone radical anion and constitutes the formal coupling of an electron-deficient heterodiene with an electronically mismatched enone dienophile. The diastereoselectivity and regioselectivity of the process are high, and the dihydropyran products are amenable to a variety of synthetically useful transformations.

Maitotoxin: An Inspiration for Synthesis

Maitotoxin holds a special place in the annals of natural products chemistry as the largest and most toxic secondary metabolite known to date. Its fascinating, ladder-like, polyether molecular structure and diverse spectrum of biological activities elicited keen interest from chemists and biologists who recognized its uniqueness and potential as a probe and inspiration for research in chemistry and biology. Synthetic studies in the area benefited from methodologies and strategies that were developed as part of chemical synthesis programs directed toward the total synthesis of some of the less complex members of the polyether marine biotoxin class, of which maitotoxin is the flagship. This account focuses on progress made in the authors' laboratories in the synthesis of large maitotoxin domains with emphasis on methodology development, strategy design, and structural comparisons of the synthesized molecules with the corresponding regions of the natural product. The article concludes with an overview of maitotoxin's biological profile and future perspectives.

Total synthesis of brevenal

This Article describes the total synthesis of the marine ladder toxin brevenal utilizing a convergent synthetic strategy. Critical to the success of this work was the use of olefinic-ester cyclization reactions and the utilization of glycal epoxides as precursors to C-C and C-H bonds.

Synthesis of the WXYZA' domain of maitotoxin

A synthesis of the WXYZA' domain (7) of the marine neurotoxin maitotoxin (1) is reported. The convergent synthetic strategy involves construction of key building blocks 11 and 12, their coupling, and the elaboration of the resulting ester (10) to the target molecule through a ring-closing metathesis and a hydroxy dithioketal cyclization as the key steps. For the construction of fragment 11, the Noyori reduction/Achmatowicz rearrangement and hydroxy epoxide opening technologies were applied (starting from furfuryl alcohol (13)), whereas for the synthesis of fragment 12, a carbohydrate-based approach was adopted (starting from 2-deoxy-D-ribose (14)). The synthesized WXYZA' domain (7) of maitotoxin (1) exhibited the expected (13)C NMR chemical shifts, supporting the originally assigned structure of the corresponding region of the natural product.

Total synthesis of gambierol

The total synthesis of gambierol has been achieved utilizing an oxiranyl anion strategy in an iterative manner. Synthetic highlights of this route include direct carbon-carbon formation on epoxides, sulfonyl-assisted 6-endo cyclization, and expansion reaction of tetrahydropyranyl rings to oxepanes to forge the polycyclic architecture of the target molecule.

Inspirations, discoveries, and future perspectives in total synthesis

The last one hundred years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the power and reach of total synthesis. The pantheon of accomplishments in the field includes the total synthesis of molecules of unimaginable beauty and diversity such as the four discussed in this article: endiandric acids (1982), calicheamicin gamma(1)(I) (1992), Taxol (1994), and brevetoxin B (1995). Chosen from the collection of the molecules synthesized in the author's laboratories, these structures are but a small fraction of the myriad constructed in laboratories around the world over the last century. Their stories, and the background on which they were based, should serve to trace the evolution of the art of chemical synthesis to its present sharp condition, an emergence that occurred as a result of new theories and mechanistic insights, new reactions, new reagents and catalysts, and new synthetic technologies and strategies. Indeed, the advent of chemical synthesis as a whole must be considered as one of the most influential developments of the twentieth century in terms of its impact on society.

Two-directional olefinic-ester ring-closing metathesis using reduced Ti alkylidenes. A rapid entry into polycyclic ether skeletons

The use of a reduced titanium ethylidene reagent in an efficient two-directional approach to polycyclic ether skeletons is described.