Conjugate additions of 1-propenylphosphonates to metalated Schöllkopf's bis-lactim ether: stereocontrolled access to 2-amino-3-methyl-4-phosphonobutanoic acids

Phosphatase-Stable Phosphoamino Acid Mimetics That Enhance Binding Affinities with the Polo-Box Domain of Polo-like Kinase 1

(2S,3R)-2-Amino-3-methyl-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (Pmab) is a phosphatase-stable analogue of phosphothreonine (pThr), which has been used in a variety of biological contexts. Among these applications are peptidomimetic ligands that bind to the polo-box domain (PBD) of polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) with affinities approaching that of the corresponding pThr-containing peptides. However, Pmab is not widely used, because there are no direct, high-yield preparations of suitably protected reagent. We have now achieved an efficient synthesis of protected Pmab, as well as variants with different substituents at the 3R center. When incorporated into our peptidomimetic scaffold, these new Pmab analogues exhibit Plk1 PBD-binding affinities that are several-fold higher than Pmab, yet retain good selectivity for Plk1 relative to the PBDs of Plk2 and Plk3. These findings will significantly impact the future development of PBD-binding inhibitors, as well as ligands directed against a broad spectrum of pThr-dependent processes.

The SAMP alkylation: a computational study

In a computational study of a stereoselective C-C bond formation, the SAMP alkylation, a previously proposed S(E)2'-front mechanism is evaluated taking into account all current experimental evidence. Using semiempirical, density functional and perturbation theoretical methods, the structure of the key intermediate is revealed and the metalloretentive nature of the mechanism is explained. The experimental ee values of a range of reactions with different electrophiles and carbonyl sources can be correlated with calculated differences in activation energies. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the selectivity derives from the internal stabilization of the transition state 3_syn (corresponding to an electrophilic attack from above the lithiohydrazone plane) by electrophile-lithium interactions. The fast computational approach can be used best as a screening method which excludes less promising candidates to guide this synthetic method.

Diastereoselective synthesis of 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acids by electrophilic substitution and tin-Peterson olefination of bis-lactim ethers derived from cyclo-[L-AP4-D-Val]

Electrophilic substitutions on lithiated Schöllkopf's bis-lactim ethers derived from cyclo-[L-AP4-D-Val] take place regio- and stereoselectively at the alpha-position of the phosphonate ester. Subsequent olefination of alpha-silyl-, alpha-phosphoryl-, and alpha-stannyl-stabilized phosphonate carbanions give rise exclusively to vinylphosphonates. Both processes allow a direct and stereoselective access to a variety of 4-substituted and 3,4-disubstituted 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acids (AP4 derivatives) in enantiomerically pure form that may be useful tools for characterizing the molecular pharmacology of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) of group III. The relative stereochemistry was assigned from X-ray diffraction analyses or NMR studies of 1,2-oxaphosphorinane and other cyclic derivatives. In accordance to density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the syn-selectivity in the electrophilic substitutions may originate from the intervention of seven- and eight-membered chelate structures in which the bis-lactim ether moiety shields one of the faces of the phosphonate carbanion. DFT calculations for the tin-Peterson olefination of alpha-stannyl stabilized phosphonate carbanions indicate that rate and selectivity are determined in the initial carbon-carbon bond formation step where the unlike transition structures leading to (Z)-vinylphosphonates are favored both in the gas phase and in THF solution.

Generation of α-phosphonovinyl radicals and development of a new route to highly functionalized vinylphosphonates and vinylphosphonate-incorporated carbocyclic or heterocyclic compounds via a radical trapping sequence

The first direct generation of synthetically useful alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals was achieved by treatment of alpha-phosphonovinyl halides with a tributyltin radical. The alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals 2a-d were trapped with electron-rich olefins and an electron-deficient olefin to produce alpha-functionalized vinylphosphonates 3a-f in 16-55% yields. The alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals 7e-g containing the YCH2CH=CH2 (Y = O, CH2, S) substituent at the beta-position afforded mixtures of 5-exo and 6-endo cyclization products, 5e-g and 6e-g, in good yields. The 5-exo/6-endo product ratios increase in the following order of the beta-substituent: OCH2CH=CH2 > CH2CH2CH=CH2 > SCH2CH=CH2. The effects of the beta-substituents upon the cyclization reaction were discussed. Radical cyclization of alpha-phosphonovinyl radicals bearing functional groups such as geranyloxy, geranylthio, and (2-cyclohexen-1-yl)thio groups at the beta-position afforded 5-exo, 5-exo and 6-endo, and cis-fused-5,6-ring cyclization products incorporating an alpha,beta-unsaturated phosphonate unit within the ring, respectively, in good yields. The alpha-phosphonovinyl radical 20 underwent tandem radical cyclization-radical cyclization to produce a mixture of two isomeric bicyclo[4.3.0]nonenes including a vinylphosphonate moiety in high yield.

Diastereoselective synthesis of 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acids by conjugate addition of lithiated Schöllkopf's bislactim ethers to vinylphosphonates

Conjugate additions of lithiated bislactim ethers derived from cyclo-[Gly-Val] and cyclo-[Ala-Val] to alpha-, beta-, or alpha,beta-substituted vinylphosphonates allow direct and stereoselective access to a variety of 3- or 4-monosubstituted and 2,3-, 2,4-, or 3,4-disubstituted 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acids (AP4 derivatives) in enantiomerically pure form. The relative stereochemistry was assigned by X-ray diffraction analysis or NMR study of 1,2-oxaphosphorinane derivatives. Competitive eight-membered "compact" and "relaxed" transition-state structures are invoked to rationalize the stereochemical outcome of the conjugate additions.