Enantioselective synthesis of the excitatory amino acid (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid

Rapid and General Access to α-Haloketones Using Quaternary Ammonium Salts as Halogen Sources

A general, rapid, and scalable method for the preparation of α-halogenated ketones using N-alkenoxypyridinium salts as substrates and quaternary ammonium salts as halogen sources was developed, featuring mild reaction conditions, excellent functional group tolerance, short reaction times, and a wide substrate scope.

A Nitrone Dipolar Cycloaddition Strategy toward an Enantioselective Synthesis of Massadine

An enantioselective route to the C,D-bicycle of massadine is reported. Enantiopure intermediates were generated by a single stereoselective reduction using the Corey-Bakshi-Shibata reagent. This initial stereoinduction was translated into the five contiguous stereocenters of the massadine D-ring by a synthetic route that features a diastereoselective and stereospecific Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of a trianionic enolate followed by a diastereoselective nitrone dipolar cycloaddition of a highly electron-poor oxime.

Synthesis of ramariolide natural products and discovery of their targets in mycobacteria

The total synthesis of ramariolides A–D and ABPP (photoprobe) derivatives have been synthesized for target identification in mycobacterial strains.

Ramariolides A–D are natural products with antibacterial activity. To exploit their cellular mechanism, we here devise the first total synthesis and prepare a photoprobe for target identification. Antibacterial testing against several pathogenic strains including Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealed the highest potency for ramariolide A. Chemical proteomics unraveled binding to essential proteins for amino acid anabolism.

Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-blennolide A

Blennolide A can be synthesized through an enantioselective domino-Wacker/carbonylation/methoxylation reaction of 7a with 96 % ee and an enantioselective Wacker oxidation of 7b with 89 % ee. Further transformations led to the α,β-unsaturated ester (E)-17, which was subjected to a highly selective Michael addition, introducing a methyl group to give 18a. After a threefold oxidation and an intramolecular acylation, the tetrahydroxanthenone 4 was obtained, which could be transformed into (-)-blennolide A (ent-1) in a few steps.

Recent Progress on the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclic Quaternary alpha-Amino Acids

The most recent papers describing the stereoselective synthesis of cyclic quaternary alpha-amino acids are collected in this review. The diverse synthetic approaches are classified according to the size of the ring and taking into account the bond that is formed to complete the quaternary skeleton.

1-Aminocyclopentane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acids screening on glutamatergic and serotonergic systems

Enantiopure constrained 1-aminocyclopentane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acids containing the glutamic acid skeleton were prepared as two diastereomers characterized by having the carboxylic groups in position two and four cis-oriented to each other and trans with respect to 1-carboxylic group and all cis-oriented carboxylic groups, respectively. A biochemical screening of activity of the above amino acids was investigated on glutamate and 5-HT receptors to find a possible metabotropic agonist, acting on the serotoninergic system.

An Efficient Enantioselective Synthesis of (2R)-Hydroxymethyl Glutamic Acid and an Approach to the (2R)-Hydroxymethyl-Substituted Sphingofungins

We have developed a short enantioselective synthesis of (2R)-hydroxymethyl glutamic acid (HMG) starting from Garner's aldehyde using an alkylidene carbene 1,5-CH insertion as a method to construct the quaternary stereocenter. A variety of conditions were examined for the oxidative cleavage of the key cyclopentene intermediate and we found that RuCl3/NaIO4 led directly to the desired amino bis-acid product. We were also able to show that oxidative cleavage of the cyclopentene 1,5-CH insertion product could be used to produce the amino acid-containing skeleton of the sphingofungin family of natural products.

Enantioselective total syntheses of (−)-clasto-lactacystin β-lactone and 7-epi-(−)-clasto-lactacystin β-lactone

An alkylidene carbene 1,5-CH insertion has been used as a key step in an efficient enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-clasto-lactacystin beta-lactone, and its C7-epimer. An additional noteworthy feature of the synthesis is the use of a novel oxidative deprotection procedure, utilizing DMDO, for the conversion of a late-stage benzylidene acetal into a primary alcohol and a secondary benzoate ester.