Synthesis of termini-differentiated 6-carbon stereotetrads: an alkylative oxidation strategy for preparation of the c21-c26 segment of apoptolidin(1)

Copper-Catalyzed Diastereoselective Borylative Allylation of Alkenyl Sulfones and Base-Controlled Synthesis of Skipped Dienes

Divergent functionalization of α,β-unsaturated sulfones under copper catalysis is reported. Diastereoselective borylative allylation of alkenyl sulfones was achieved with a copper catalyst, allyl phosphate, bis(pinacolato)diboron, and LiOMe. In this method, the addition of a copper-boryl complex to alkenyl sulfone and subsequent allylic substitution rendered boroallylated products in good yield with excellent syn-diastereoselectivity. In contrast, a stronger base (KOt-Bu) promoted the reaction further toward the formation of (E)-skipped dienes, through elimination of the sulfonyl and boryl groups.

Short synthesis of the C16-C28 polyketide fragment of apoptolidin A aglycone

Starting from (E,E)-1-[(1R)-(phenylethyl)oxy]-2-methylpenta-1,3-diene and triethylsilyl enol ether of butanone rapid access to Koert's advanced C10-C28 polyketide fragment of apoptolidin A is now possible.

Asymmetric Synthesis of All Eight Seven-Carbon Dipropionate Stereotetrads

Enantiopure cycloheptadienyl sulfones 6 and 7 are diastereoselectively epoxidized to yield epoxyvinyl sulfones 8, 9, 14, and 16 in high yields and diastereomeric ratios. Syn and anti methylation of epoxides 8, 9, 14, and 16 enables access to all eight possible diastereomeric stereotetrads, seven of which are commonly found in polypropionate natural products. Anti methylations of the above epoxides are possible by either the reaction of methyl organometallics promoted by copper(I), or via reaction with trimethylaluminum to yield stereotetrads 11, 12, 22, and 24. Syn methylations are achieved via Lawton SN2' reaction in the case of stereotetrads 10, 15, and 38, while stereotetrad 13 is accessed by an oxidation/reduction alcohol inversion sequence from stereotetrad 11. All stereotetrads were obtained in high diastereomeric ratios and yields, and their relative stereochemistry was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Oxidative cleavage of the cyclic stereotetrads yields termini-differentiated acyclic heptanyl stereotetrads ready for use in building larger fragments in the course of target syntheses.

Apoptolidin A: total synthesis and partially glycosylated analogues

The total synthesis of apoptolidin A is described employing an early glycosylation strategy. Strategic disconnections were chosen between C11-C12 (cross-coupling) and C19O-C1 (macrocyclization). The cis-selective glycosylation at C9-OH was achieved with the new SIBA protective group at O2/O3 of the L-glucose residue. Auxiliary substitutents at the 2-position of the 2-deoxy sugars were applied to form selectively the glycosidic linkages of the C27 disaccharide. The cross-coupling of the glycosylated northern half with the glycosylated southern half was achieved with CuI-thiophene carboxylate. The macrocyclization of a trihydroxy carboxylic acid produced the 20-membered macrolide selectively. H2SiF6 was suitable for the final deprotection of the silyl ethers and the conversion of the C21 methylketal into the hemiketal. The synthetic flexibility of the approach was proven by the synthesis of some glycovariants.

Lactol-directed osmylation. Stereodivergent synthesis of four C-19,20 apoptolidin diols from a single allylic hemiacetal

A synthetic approach to prepare four Apoptolidin C-19,20 diastereomeric diol derivatives was developed. Two diastereomers were obtained from the (Z)-form, which is converted to the (E)-form, followed by dihydroxylation to deliver two more diastereomers. The (E)-allylic hemiacetal and methoxyacetal showed opposite diastereoselectivity.

Apoptolidinone A: Synthesis of the Apoptolidin A Aglycone

An efficient stereocontrolled synthesis of apoptolidinone A, the aglycone of apoptolidin A is described. The synthetic strategy relies on a cross coupling between C11/C12 of a northern half (C1-C11) and a southern part (C12-C28) followed by a ring-size selective macrolactonization. Key steps for the introduction of the southern half stereocenters are a stereoselective aldol reaction, a substrate controlled dihydroxylation and a chelation-controlled Grignard/aldehyde addition. The conjugated triene of the northern half was built up successively by E-selective Wittig reactions. L-Malic acid was chosen as the chiral pool source for the C8/C9 stereocenters. The final cleavage of the silyl ethers and the conversion of the C21 methyl ketal into the hemiketal was achieved by HF.pyridine.

Apoptolidins B and C: isolation, structure determination, and biological activity

[reaction: see text] Apoptolidin (1) is a promising new therapeutic lead that exhibits remarkable selectivity against cancer cells relative to normal cells. We report the isolation, characterization, solution structure, stability, and biological activity of two new members of this family: apoptolidins B (2) and C (3). These new agents are found to have antiproliferative activity on par with or better than apoptolidin itself in an assay with H292 lung cancer cells.

Correlation of F0F1-ATPase inhibition and antiproliferative activity of apoptolidin analogues

[structure: see text] Apoptolidin (1) exhibits potent and highly selective apoptosis inducing activity against sensitive cancer cell lines and is hypothesized to act by inhibition of mitochondrial F(0)F(1)-ATP synthase. A series of apoptolidin derivatives, including a new intermolecular Diels-Alder adduct, were analyzed for antiproliferative activity in E1A-transformed rat fibroblasts. Potent F(0)F(1)-ATPase inhibition was not a sufficient determinant of antiproliferative activity for several analogues, suggesting the existence of a secondary biological target or more complex mode of action for apoptolidin.

Apoptolidin: Induction of Apoptosis by a Natural Product

Apoptolidin is a natural product that selectively induces apoptosis in several cancer cell lines. Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is a biological key pathway for regulating homeostasis and morphogenesis. Apoptotic misregulations are connected with several diseases, in particular cancer. The extrinsic way to apoptosis leads through death ligands and death receptors to the activiation of the caspase cascade, which results in proteolytic degradation of the cell architecture. The intrinsic pathway transmits signals of internal cellular damage to the mitochondrion, which loses its structural integrity, and forms an apoptosome that initiates the caspase cascade. Compounds which regulate apoptosis are of high medical significance. Many natural products regulate apoptotic pathways, and apoptolidin is one of them. The known synthetic routes to apoptolidin are described and compared in this Review. Selected further natural products which regulate apoptosis are introduced briefly.

Synthesis of Novel Tricyclic Pyrimido[4,5-b][1,4]benzothiazepines via Bischler−Napieralski-Type Reactions

[reaction: see text] Novel tricyclic pyrimido[4,5-b][1,4]benzothiazepines were readily prepared from 5-amino-4,6-bis(arylthio)pyrimidines and carboxylic acids via Bischler-Napieralski-type reactions. The 6-aryl sulfide group of the resulting pyrimido[4,5-b][1,4]benzothiazepines could be selectively oxidized to its corresponding sulfoxide, which underwent facile substitution reactions when treated with nucleophiles such as an amine. This synthetic strategy provides an efficient way to access a library of novel heterocyclic compounds that are of interest in drug discovery.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Apoptolidinone: Exploiting the Versatility of Thiazolidinethione Chiral Auxiliaries

An efficient, enantioselective synthesis of apoptolidinone has been completed, demonstrating the versatility of thiazolidinethione auxiliaries. Three propionate aldol additions and two asymmetric glycolate alkylations function to establish 8 of the 12 stereogenic carbon centers. A cross-metathesis reaction is utilized to assemble the C1-C10 trieneoate fragment and the C11-C28 polypropionate region of the molecule.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Apoptolidin Sugars

[structure: see text] The de novo synthesis of the C9 and C27 sugar subunits (2) and (3), respectively, of the potent antitumor agent, apoptolidin, has been accomplished. A titanium tetrachloride-mediated asymmetric anti glycolate aldol addition was utilized to establish the 4' and 5' stereogenic centers of each of the three monosaccharides. Elaboration of the aldol adducts efficiently provided the three sugar units. A beta-selective glycosidation completed the construction of the C27 disaccharide.

Highly Diastereoselective Diels-Alder Reactions with Enantiopure Sulfinyl-Substituted 1-Hydroxymethyldienes

Enantiopure hydroxy-2- and -3-sulfinyldienes undergo highly selective Diels-Alder cycloadditions with various dienophiles controlled by the chiral sulfur atom. The related hydroxy-2-sulfonyldienes display complementary pi-facial selectivity.

Synthesis of the C(1)-C(11) Polyene Fragment of Apoptolidin with a New Sulfur Dioxide-Based Organic Chemistry

A new sulfur dioxide-based organic chemistry has been developed as a novel approach for the stereoselective synthesis of polyene fragments based on our one-pot, four-component synthesis of polyfunctional epsilon-alkanesulfonyl-gamma,delta-unsaturated ketones. The flexibility and efficiency of this methodology are illustrated by the preparation of (+)-methyl (2E,4E,6E,8R,9S)-9-{[(tert-butyl)dimethylsilyl]oxy}-2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-11-(triethylsilyl)undeca-2,4,6-trien-10-ynoate, a synthetic intermediate of Nicolaou and co-workers, that corresponds to the C(1)-C(11) fragment of apoptolidin, which was used by the authors in their total synthesis of this promising anticancer agent.