Total synthesis of (-)-brevisin: a concise synthesis of a new marine polycyclic ether

Convergent and Scalable Synthesis of the ABCDE-Ring Fragment of Caribbean Ciguatoxin C-CTX-1

Convergent and scalable synthesis of the ABCDE-ring fragment of Caribbean ciguatoxin C-CTX-1, the major causative toxin for ciguatera poisoning in the Caribbean Sea and the Northeast Atlantic areas, is described in detail. The key features of the synthesis include an iterative use of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO)/PhI(OAc)₂-mediated oxidative lactonization and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling en route to the DE-ring system and a convergent fragment coupling to form the ABCDE-ring skeleton via the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling strategy.

Chemodiversity of Brevetoxins and Other Potentially Toxic Metabolites Produced by Karenia spp. and Their Metabolic Products in Marine Organisms

In recent decades, more than 130 potentially toxic metabolites originating from dinoflagellate species belonging to the genus Karenia or metabolized by marine organisms have been described. These metabolites include the well-known and large group of brevetoxins (BTXs), responsible for foodborne neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) and airborne respiratory symptoms in humans. Karenia spp. also produce brevenal, brevisamide and metabolites belonging to the hemi-brevetoxin, brevisin, tamulamide, gymnocin, gymnodimine, brevisulcenal and brevisulcatic acid groups. In this review, we summarize the available knowledge in the literature since 1977 on these various identified metabolites, whether they are produced directly by the producer organisms or biotransformed in marine organisms. Their structures and physicochemical properties are presented and discussed. Among future avenues of research, we highlight the need for more toxin occurrence data with analytical techniques, which can specifically determine the analogs present in samples. New metabolites have yet to be fully described, especially the groups of metabolites discovered in the last two decades (e.g tamulamides). Lastly, this work clarifies the different nomenclatures used in the literature and should help to harmonize practices in the future.

Synthesis and Structural Implication of the JKLMN-Ring Fragment of Caribbean Ciguatoxin C-CTX-1

Synthesis of the JKLMN-ring fragment of Caribbean ciguatoxin C-CTX-1, the causative toxin of ciguatera fish poisoning in the Caribbean Sea and the Northeast Atlantic areas, is described in detail. Key to the synthesis are a [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement to construct a seven-membered α-hydroxy exo-enol ether, stereoselective construction of an angular tetrasubstituted stereogenic center on the seven-membered M-ring by a hydrogen atom transfer-based reductive olefin coupling, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the KLMN-ring enol phosphate with a highly congested M-ring, and silica gel-mediated epoxide ring opening to form the J-ring. Comparison of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data for the synthesized fragment with those for the natural product provided support for the formerly assigned structure of the N-ring in the right-hand terminal of C-CTX-1.

Total Synthesis of Gymnocin-A

A convergent total synthesis of cytotoxic marine natural polycyclic ether, gymnocin-A (1), is described. The synthesis features three iterations of an oxiranyl anion strategy, involving base-mediated cycloetherification, ring expansion, and reductive etherification, for the construction of the FGH fragment and for its coupling with the ABC and KLMN fragments.

Rhodium-catalyzed endo-selective epoxide-opening cascades: formal synthesis of (-)-brevisin

[Rh(CO)2Cl]2 is as an effective catalyst for endo-selective cyclizations and cascades of epoxy-(E)-enoate alcohols, thus enabling the synthesis of oxepanes and oxepane-containing polyethers from di- and trisubstituted epoxides. Syntheses of the ABC and EF ring systems of (-)-brevisin via all endo-diepoxide-opening cascades using this method constitute a formal total synthesis and demonstrate the utility of this methodology in the context of the synthesis of marine ladder polyether natural products.

Synthesis of α,α'-trans-oxepanes through an organocatalytic oxa-conjugate addition reaction

Oxepanes are found in a wide range of natural products; however, they are challenging synthetic targets due to enthalpic and entropic barriers. Organocatalytic oxa-conjugate addition reactions promoted by the gem-disubstituent (Thorpe–Ingold) effect stereoselectively provided α,α′-trans-oxepanes. In addition, the potential of an organocatalytic tandem oxa-conjugate addition/α-oxidation was demonstrated in a rapid generation of molecular complexity. These organocatalytic oxa-conjugate addition reactions would provide powerful tools for the synthesis of natural products that contain highly functionalized oxepanes.

Marine natural products

This review covers the literature published in 2011 for marine natural products, with 870 citations (558 for the period January to December 2011) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1152 for 2011), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that lead to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included.

Divergent synthesis of trans-fused polycyclic ethers by a convergent oxiranyl anion strategy

Octacyclic polyethers that correspond to the CDEFGHIJ-ring system of yessotoxin as well as G- and/or I-ring-modified analogues were synthesized in a divergent manner, starting from a common intermediate, using an [X + 2 + Y]-type convergent method. Reaction of a triflate with the oxiranyl anion generated from an epoxy sulfone, followed by ring expansion, allowed for the incorporation of medium-sized ring ethers into the key intermediate. Subsequent acetal formation and reductive etherification afforded various octacycles containing seven- and eight-membered ether rings.