Total synthesis of (+/-)-agelastatin A, a potent inhibitor of osteopontin-mediated neoplastic transformations

A Review of the Synthetic Strategies toward Dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]Pyrazinones

Dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazinone rings are a class of heterocycles present in a wide range of bioactive natural products and analogues thereof. As a direct result of their bioactivity, the synthesis of this privileged class of compounds has been extensively studied. This review provides an overview of these synthetic pathways. The literature is covered up until 2020 and is organized according to the specific strategies used to construct the scaffold: fusing a pyrazinone to an existing pyrrole, employing a pyrazinone-first strategy, an array of multicomponent reactions and some miscellaneous reactions.

Seven-Step Synthesis of All-Nitrogenated Sugar Derivatives Using Sequential Overman Rearrangements

All-nitrogenated sugars (ANSs), in which all hydroxy groups in a carbohydrate are replaced with amino groups, are anticipated to be privileged structures with useful biological activities. However, ANS synthesis has been challenging due to the difficulty in the installation of multi-amino groups. We report herein the development of a concise synthetic route to peracetylated ANSs in seven steps from commercially available monosaccharides. The key to success is the use of the sequential Overman rearrangement, which enables formal simultaneous substitution of four or five hydroxy groups in monosaccharides with amino groups. A variety of ANSs are available through the same reaction sequence starting from different initial monosaccharides by chirality transfer of secondary alcohols. Transformations of the resulting peracetylated ANSs such as glycosylation and deacetylation are also demonstrated. Biological studies reveal that ANS-modified cholesterol show cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines, whereas each ANS and cholesterol have no cytotoxicity.

Substrate-controlled selectivity switch in a three-component reaction: sequential synthesis of spiro-oxazolidinedione-cyclopentenones and hydroxy enaminobarbiturates in water

An efficient eco-friendly catalyst-free three-component domino multicyclization for the synthesis of new spirobicyclic oxazolidinedione containing cyclopentenone moieties has been established by mixing amines, β-dicarbonyl compounds and N,N'-dimethylalloxan in water at room temperature. This domino process involves multiple reactions such as enamination/aldol-like reaction/Stork enamine annulation/intramolecular cyclization under mild conditions.

Total synthesis of (−)-agelastatin A: an SH2′ radical azidation strategy

A new synthetic approach to (−)-agelastatin A has been established through the strategic implementation of brominative olefin transposition of a silyl enol ether and subsequent S_H2′ radical azidation of the resultant allylic bromide.

Compounds, compositions, and methods of agelastatin alkaloids: patent evaluation of WO2015042239 (A1)

Agelastatins are a family of tetracyclic alkaloids isolated from marine sponges. The patent examined in this publication covers the chemical synthesis of agelastatins A to F and eight analogues and their therapeutic use against hematologic malignancies. The claim on the chemical synthesis features a novel biomimetic cyclization of a tricyclic precursor, which streamlines scalable access to agelastatins and their analogues. This new synthetic approach can potentially expedite the research on these compounds for therapeutic use against cancers by making them more easily available. The claim on the therapeutic use against hematologic malignancies is based on the in vitro cytotoxicity against a limited number of cell lines and can be further strengthened by in vivo therapeutic evaluations focusing on specific hematologic malignancies. The comparative evaluation of the cytotoxicities of the natural alkaloids described in the application greatly enhances the understanding of their structure-activity relationships (SARs) relevant to the development of novel medicinal leads. Overall, the patent application is strong and has the potential to advance the rapidly expanding agelastatin research.

Recent advances in the Overman rearrangement: synthesis of natural products and valuable compounds

This review documents the reports since 2005 on the Overman rearrangement, an important C–N bond forming reaction that has been profoundly used in the synthesis of natural products, synthetic intermediates, building blocks and valuable compounds.

Sulfinyl-Mediated Stereoselective Overman Rearrangements and Diels-Alder Cycloadditions

Sulfinyl trichloroacetamides are readily obtained in excellent yields through a highly stereoselective Overman rearrangement. Related bis-allylic substrates lead to amido 2-sulfinyl butadiene derivatives in excellent yields, with total chemo- and diastereoselectivity. These amido dienyl sulfoxides undergo highly selective Diels-Alder cycloadditions with N-phenylmaleimide with remarkable stereocontrol by the sulfoxide moiety.

Syntheses of Cyclic Guanidine-Containing Natural Products

Naturally occurring guanidine derivatives frequently display medicinally useful properties. Among them, the higher order pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids, the dragmacidins, the crambescidins/batzelladines, and the saxitoxins/tetradotoxins have stimulated the development of many new synthetic methods over the past decades. We provide here an overview of the syntheses of these cyclic guanidine-containing natural products.

Dimeric pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids: synthetic approaches and biosynthetic hypotheses

The pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids are a group of structurally unique and biologically interesting marine sponge metabolites. Among them, the cyclic dimers have caught synthetic chemists' attention particularly. Numerous synthetic strategies have been developed and various biosynthetic hypotheses have been proposed for these fascinating natural products. We discuss herein the synthetic approaches and the biosynthetic insights obtained from these studies.

Synthesis and anticancer activity of all known (-)-agelastatin alkaloids

The full details of our enantioselective total syntheses of (-)-agelastatins A-F (1-6), the evolution of a new methodology for synthesis of substituted azaheterocycles, and the first side-by-side evaluation of all known (-)-agelastatin alkaloids against nine human cancer cell lines are described. Our concise synthesis of these alkaloids exploits the intrinsic chemistry of plausible biosynthetic precursors and capitalizes on a late-stage synthesis of the C-ring. The critical copper-mediated cross-coupling reaction was expanded to include guanidine-based systems, offering a versatile preparation of substituted imidazoles. The direct comparison of the anticancer activity of all naturally occurring (-)-agelastatins in addition to eight advanced synthetic intermediates enabled a systematic analysis of the structure-activity relationship within the natural series. Significantly, (-)-agelastatin A (1) is highly potent against six blood cancer cell lines (20-190 nM) without affecting normal red blood cells (>333 μM). (-)-Agelastatin A (1) and (-)-agelastatin D (4), the two most potent members of this family, induce dose-dependent apoptosis and arrest cells in the G2/M-phase of the cell cycle; however, using confocal microscopy, we have determined that neither alkaloid affects tubulin dynamics within cells.

Cascade- and orthoamide-type Overman rearrangements of allylic vicinal diols

This article describes the details of two new types of Overman rearrangement from allylic vicinal diols. Starting from identical diols, both bis(imidate)s and cyclic orthoamides were selectively synthesized by simply changing the reaction conditions. Whilst exposure of the bis(imidate)s to thermal conditions initiated the double Overman rearrangement to introduce two identical nitrogen groups in a single operation (the cascade-type Overman rearrangement), the reaction of cyclic orthoamides resulted in a single rearrangement (the orthoamide-type Overman rearrangement). The newly generated allylic alcohols from the orthoamide-type reaction can potentially undergo a variety of further transformations. For instance, we demonstrated an Overman/Claisen sequence in one pot. The most conspicuous feature of this method is that it offers precise control over the number of Overman rearrangements from the same allylic vicinal diols. This method also excludes the tedious protecting-group manipulations of the homoallylic alcohols, which are necessary in conventional Overman rearrangements. All of the performed rearrangements proceeded in a completely diastereoselective fashion through a chair-like transition state.

Formal synthesis of (-)-agelastatin A: an iron(II)-mediated cyclization strategy

An iron(II)-mediated aminohalogenation of a cyclopentenyl N-tosyloxycarbamate provided new access to the key intermediate for the synthesis of (-)-agelastatin A (AA, 1), a potent antiproliferative alkaloid. The present synthetic endeavour offered an insight into the mechanism underlying the iron(II)-mediated aminohalogenation of N-tosyloxycarbamate, in which the radical properties of the N-iron intermediates in the redox states were operative.

Bioinspired total synthesis of agelastatin A

A one-two punch: two potentially biosynthetically relevant cyclizations of a keramadine analogue give agelastatin A. A diastereoselective C-ring formation, which proceeds through a 5-exo-trig cyclization or a Nazarov cyclization of a red-colored N-acyliminium intermediate, generates the three contiguous stereocenters of the cyclopentane core. A silica gel assisted cyclization of a nagelamide J analogue gives agelastatin A.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of vicinal diamines by organocatalytic asymmetric Mannich reaction of N-protected aminoacetaldehydes: formal synthesis of (-)-agelastatin A

The 1,2-diamine (vicinal diamine) motif is present in a number of natural products with interesting biological activity and in many chiral molecular catalysts. The efficient and stereocontrolled synthesis of enantioenriched vicinal diamines is still a challenge to modern chemical methodology. We report here both syn- and anti-selective asymmetric direct Mannich reactions of N-protected aminoacetaldehydes with N-Boc-protected imines catalyzed by proline and the axially chiral amino sulfonamide (S)-3. This organocatalytic process represents the first example of a Mannich reaction using Z- or Boc-protected aminoacetaldehyde as a new entry of α-nitrogen functionalized aldehyde nucleophile in enamine catalysis. The obtained optically active vicinal diamines are useful chiral synthons as exemplified by the formal synthesis of (-)-agelastatin A.

Total syntheses of (-)-hanishin, (-)-longamide B, and (-)-longamide B methyl ester via a novel preparation of N-substituted pyrrole-2-carboxylates [corrected]

A novel preparation of N-substituted pyrrole-2-carboxylates has been developed based upon 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and a conventional hydrogenolysis. By using this method as the key step, total syntheses of natural alkaloids (-)-hanishin, (-)-longamide [corrected] B, and (-)-longamide [corrected] B methyl ester were accomplished in the highest overall yields, respectively.

Chiral molecules containing the pyrrole framework

Synthetic routes to chiral molecules containing a pyrrolic ring are discussed: strategies include formation of the pyrrole ring using starting materials appended with chirality, as well as the attachment of chirality to a pre-formed pyrrole.

Total synthesis of all (-)-Agelastatin alkaloids

The pyrrole-imidazole family of marine alkaloids, derived from linear clathrodin-like precursors, constitutes a diverse array of structurally complex natural products. The bioactive agelastatins are members of this family that possess a tetracyclic molecular framework incorporating C4-C8 and C7-N12 bond connectivities. We provide a hypothesis for the formation of the unique agelastatin architecture that maximally exploits the intrinsic chemistry of plausible biosynthetic precursors. We report the concise enantioselective total syntheses of all known agelastatin alkaloids including the first total syntheses of agelastatins C, D, E, and F. Our gram-scale chemical synthesis of agelastatin A was inspired by our hypothesis for the biogenesis of the cyclopentane C-ring and required the development of new transformations including an imidazolone-forming annulation reaction and a carbohydroxylative trapping of imidazolones.

Total synthesis of the beta-catenin inhibitor, (-)-agelastatin A: a second-generation approach based on radical aminobromination

The second-generation approach to (-)-agelastatin A has been established. The present strategy features the FeBr(2)-mediated radical cyclization of 2-cyclopentenyloxycarbonyl azide that allows for the stereoselective installation of a cis-vicinal aminobromo functionality suitable for producing the BCD-ring system of agelastatin A. The aminobromination method streamlines access to oxazolidinone, a key intermediate in the previously reported synthesis, thereby culminating in the new total synthesis of (-)-agelastatin A.