Computational Study on the Reaction Mechanism of the Key Thermal [4 + 4] Cycloaddition Reaction in the Biosynthesis of Epoxytwinol A

Total synthesis of AMF-26, an antitumor agent for inhibition of the Golgi system, targeting ADP-ribosylation factor 1

An effective method for the total synthesis of 1 (AMF-26), a potentially promising new anticancer drug that disrupts the Golgi system by inhibiting the ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf1) activation, has been developed for the first time. The construction of the chiral linear precursor (a key to the synthesis) was achieved by the asymmetric aldol reaction followed by the computer-assisted predictive stereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. The global antitumor activity of the totally synthetic 1 against a variety of human cancer cells was assessed using a panel of 39 human cancer cell lines (JFCR39), and it was shown that the synthetic 1 strongly inhibited the growth of several cancer cell lines at concentrations of less than 0.04 μM. Biological assays of novel derivatives, 26 and 31, which have different side-chains at the C-4 positions in the Δ¹,²-octalin backbone, disclosed the importance of the suitable structure of the side-chain containing conjugated multidouble bonds.

Theoretical Study of the Reaction Mechanisms Involved in the Thermal Intramolecular Reactions of 1,6-Fullerenynes

Substitution of a H atom by an alkyl group on the terminal carbon of the alkyne moiety of 1,6-fullerenynes has a strong impact on the products of the reaction undergone by this species after thermal treatment. While the reaction of 1,6-fullerenynes bearing an unsubstituted alkyne moiety results in the cycloaddition of the alkyne group to the fullerene double bond leading to cyclobutene-fused derivatives, the presence of an alkyl substituent leads to the formation of allenes. In the present work, we have performed an exhaustive theoretical analysis of all possible reaction mechanisms leading to cyclobutene-fused derivatives and allenes to offer an explanation of the reactivity differences observed. The results obtained show that formation of cyclobutene-fused derivatives occurs through a stepwise diradical reaction mechanism, while allene formation proceeds through a concerted way involving an uncommon intramolecular ene process. For the 1,6-fullerenynes bearing a substituted alkyne, the ene reaction path leading to allenes has an energy barrier somewhat lower than the stepwise diradical mechanism for the cyclobutene-fused derivative formation, thus explaining the outcome of the reaction.