Total Synthesis of the Proposed Structure of the Anthrapyran Metabolite δ-Indomycinone

Virtual Screening of a Marine Natural Product Database for In Silico Identification of a Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by amyloid-beta aggregation and neurofibrillary tangles. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) hydrolyses acetylcholine and induces amyloid-beta aggregation. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) inhibit this aggregation by binding to AChE, making it a potential target for the treatment of AD. In this study, we have focused on the identification of potent and safe AChEI from the Comprehensive Marine Natural Product Database (CMNPD) using computational tools. For the screening of CMNPD, a structure-based pharmacophore model was generated using a structure of AChE complexed with the co-crystallized ligand galantamine (PDB ID: 4EY6). The 330 molecules that passed through the pharmacophore filter were retrieved, their drug-likeness was determined, and they were then subjected to molecular docking studies. The top ten molecules were selected depending upon their docking score and were submitted for toxicity profiling. Based on these studies, molecule 64 (CMNPD8714) was found to be the safest and was subjected to molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations. This molecule showed stable hydrogen bonding and stacked interactions with TYR341, mediated through a water bridge. In silico results can be correlated with in vitro studies for checking its activity and safety in the future.

Straightforward Access to Anthrone Functionalized Benzylic Amines via Organocatalytic 1,2-Addition of Anthrones to Imines at Ambient Temperature

Activation of anthrone via benzylic deprotonation in the presence of triethylamine paves the way for the 1,2-addition reaction with imines to provide the desired functionalized anthrones in good to excellent yields under mild and operationally simple reaction conditions with a broad range of substrate scopes without using any external additives or toxic stoichiometric reagents.

Hydroxylamine-Mediated Anthrapyranone Formation, Solving 5-exo/6-endo Issue toward Synthesis of Pluramycin-Class Antibiotics

In our synthetic study on pluramycin-class antibiotics, an unexpected issue arose, i.e., unfavorable regioselectivity of 5-exo rather than 6-endo cyclization to form the pyranone ring. The issue was solved by an addition-elimination process of a phenol-ynone substrate. AZADOL was specifically effective, enabling the first synthesis of saptomycinone H.

Total Synthesis and Structural Determination of XR774, a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Total synthesis and structural determination of XR774 has been accomplished. The benzo[ j]fluoranthene skeleton has been constructed by regioselective coupling between tetraline 3 and tetralone 4 successively followed by the sequential transformation including the Birch reduction to prepare allylic alcohol, simultaneous bromination of vinylic and aromatic moieties, and the nickel-mediated intramolecular coupling reaction. The optical resolution of racemic 17 led to the first total synthesis of (-)-XR774.

Bifunctional thiourea catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition of anthrone to methyleneindolinones

Bifunctional thiourea catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of anthrones to methyleneindolinones were developed to prepare biologically significant hybrid derivatives of oxindoles and anthrones in high yield, high regioselectivity and stereoselectivity.

Rare Streptomyces sp. polyketides as modulators of K-Ras localisation

Chemical investigations of a soil-derived Streptomyces sp. led to the isolation of five new polyketides, (+)-oxanthromicin, (±)-hemi-oxanthromicins A/B, (±)-spiro-oxanthromicin A and oxanthroquinone, and the known alkaloid staurosporine, and the detection of four new metastable analogues, (±)-spiro-oxanthromicins B1/B2/C1/C2. Among the compounds tested, SAR investigations established that the synthetic oxanthroquinone ethyl ester and 3-O-methyl-oxanthroquinone ethyl ester were optimal at mislocalising oncogenic mutant K-Ras from the plasma membrane of intact Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (IC50 4.6 and 1.2 μM), while a sub-EC50 dose of (±)-spiro-oxanthromicin A was optimal at potentiating (750%) the K-Ras inhibitory activity of staurosporine (IC50 60 pM). These studies demonstrate that a rare class of Streptomyces polyketide modulates K-Ras plasma membrane localisation, with implications for the future treatment of K-Ras dependent cancers.

Total synthesis of viridicatumtoxin B and analogues thereof: strategy evolution, structural revision, and biological evaluation

The details of the total synthesis of viridicatumtoxin B (1) are described. Initial synthetic strategies toward this intriguing tetracycline antibiotic resulted in the development of key alkylation and Lewis acid-mediated spirocyclization reactions to form the hindered EF spirojunction, as well as Michael-Dieckmann reactions to set the A and C rings. The use of an aromatic A-ring substrate, however, was found to be unsuitable for the introduction of the requisite hydroxyl groups at carbons 4a and 12a. Applying these previous tactics, we developed stepwise approaches to oxidize carbons 12a and 4a based on enol- and enolate-based oxidations, respectively, the latter of which was accomplished after systematic investigations that revealed critical reactivity patterns. The herein described synthetic strategy resulted in the total synthesis of viridicatumtoxin B (1), which, in turn, formed the basis for the revision of its originally assigned structure. The developed chemistry facilitated the synthesis of a series of viridicatumtoxin analogues, which were evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, including drug-resistant pathogens, revealing the first structure-activity relationships within this structural type.

Studies toward the total synthesis of pluraflavin A

A synthetic strategy towards the potent cytostatic agent pluraflavin A has been developed. Formation of the enantioenriched anthrapyran core bearing a halogen atom enabled the introduction of the α C-aryl glycoside by Stille cross-coupling and subsequent hydrogenation of the aryl glycal. Chemo- and stereoselective O-glycosylations of α oliose and β 3-epi vancosamine residues afforded a fully glycosylated aromatic core. Attempts to install the dimethylamino group of the C-disaccharide suggest that introduction of an azide group by displacement and subsequent reduction may pave the way to the total synthesis of pluraflavin A.

Synthesis of the C10-C24-bis-spiroacetal core of 13-desmethyl spirolide C based on a sila-Stetter-acetalization process

Synthesis of the bis-spiroacetal core of 13-desmethyl spirolide C has been completed based on a sila-Stetter-acetalization process. The acylsilane and enone partners in the Stetter reaction were prepared in 7 and 11 steps, respectively, from (S) and (R)-aspartic acid. The quaternary center at C19 in the enone moiety was controlled by relying on the Seebach's chiral self-reproduction method using an enantiopure (S)-lactic acid based dioxolanone. The final acid-catalyzed spiroacetalization provided the desired spiroacetal as a mixture of diastereoisomers in 13 linear steps. Whatever the conditions used, the non-natural transoid isomer was formed preferentially. However, both cisoid and transoid isomers were isolated pure and their structure assigned unambiguously through NMR spectroscopic studies.

Survey of marine natural product structure revisions: a synergy of spectroscopy and chemical synthesis

The structural assignment of new natural product molecules supports research in a multitude of disciplines that may lead to new therapeutic agents and or new understanding of disease biology. However, reports of numerous structural revisions, even of recently elucidated natural products, inspired the present survey of techniques used in structural misassignments and subsequent revisions in the context of constitutional or configurational errors. Given the comparatively recent development of marine natural products chemistry, coincident with modern spectroscopy, it is of interest to consider the relative roles of spectroscopy and chemical synthesis in the structure elucidation and revision of those marine natural products that were initially misassigned. Thus, a tabulated review of all marine natural product structural revisions from 2005 to 2010 is organized according to structural motif revised. Misassignments of constitution are more frequent than perhaps anticipated by reliance on HMBC and other advanced NMR experiments, especially when considering the full complement of all natural products. However, these techniques also feature prominently in structural revisions, specifically of marine natural products. Nevertheless, as is the case for revision of relative and absolute configuration, total synthesis is a proven partner for marine, as well as terrestrial, natural products structure elucidation. It also becomes apparent that considerable 'detective work' remains in structure elucidation, in spite of the spectacular advances in spectroscopic techniques.

Origins of regioselectivity of Diels-Alder reactions for the synthesis of bisanthraquinone antibiotic BE-43472B

The regioselectivities of several Diels-Alder reactions utilized en route to bisanthraquinone antibiotic BE-43472B are examined using density functional theory calculations. These reactions involve highly substituted dienes and juglone dienophiles, and there is an opposite regiochemical outcome for Diels-Alder reactions with beta-aryl substituted juglones when compared to reactions of unsubstituted juglone. In this article, the effect of an aromatic conjugating group bonded to juglone is explored.

Synthesis of pluraflavin A "aglycone"

The "aglycone" of pluraflavin A (2) has been synthesized. The key features of this synthesis include a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between a nitrile oxide (cf. 14) and an olefin (22) to yield an isoxazoline followed by subsequent conversion into the gamma-pyrone of pluraflavin A. The epoxide moiety linked to the pyrone is installed prior to Diels-Alder installation of the D ring, which allows access to a number of potentially active cytotoxic intermediates en route to the final compound. The preliminary in vitro results of two such compounds are also included with the racemic title compound exhibiting cytotoxicity in the nanomolar range.

Catalytic hypervalent iodine oxidation of p-dialkoxybenzenes to p-quinones using 4-iodophenoxyacetic acid and Oxone

A catalytic hypervalent iodine oxidation of p-dialkoxybenzenes using 4-iodophenoxyacetic acid (1) and 2KHSO5 x KHSO4 x K2SO4 (Oxone) was developed. Reaction of p-dialkoxybenzenes (2) with a catalytic amount of 1 in the presence of Oxone as a co-oxidant in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol-water (1 : 2) gave the corresponding p-quinones (3) in excellent yields without purification. This procedure was applied to synthesis of blattellaquinone (9), the sex pheromone of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica.