Synthesis of 2,3-aziridino-2,3-dideoxy-D-lyxono-γ-lactone 5-phosphonate from D-ribose, a new member of the 2,3-aziridino-γ-lactone family of synthons

Enantiospecific Total Synthesis of (−)-Polyoxamic Acid Using 2,3-Aziridino-γ-lactone Methodology

The non-natural enantiomer of polyoxamic acid was synthesized in six steps from 2,3-aziridino-gamma-lactone 7 with an overall yield of 10%. The key step of the strategy is a deprotection-protection sequence on the nitrogen atom of the aziridine ring required for aziridine activation toward nucleophilic ring opening.

First enantiospecific synthesis of a 3,4-dihydroxy-L-glutamic acid [(3S,4S)-DHGA], a new mGluR1 agonist

The first synthesis of one of the 4 possible stereoisomers of 3,4-dihydroxy-L-glutamic acid ((3S,4S)-DHGA 3), a natural product of unknown configuration, is described. The synthesis is based on the Lewis acid catalyzed reaction of benzyl alcohol with a D-ribose-derived 2,3-aziridino-gamma-lactone 4-benzyl carboxylate (6). Preliminary pharmacological studies showed that (3S,4S)-3 is an agonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors of type 1 (mGluR1) and a weak antagonist of mGluR4 but has no discernible activity with respect to mGluR2. This activity profile can be rationalized by fitting extended conformations of (3S,4S)-3 in proposed models of each of these receptor subtypes.