Total Synthesis of Lipopeptide Bacilotetrin C: Discovery of Potent Anticancer Congeners Promoting Autophagy

A convergent strategy for the first total synthesis of the lipopeptide bacilotetrin C has been developed. The key features of this synthesis include Crimmins acetate aldol, Steglich esterification, and macrolactamization. Twenty-nine variants of the natural product were prepared following a systematic structure-activity relationship study, where some of the designed analogues showed promising cytotoxic effects against multiple human carcinoma cell lines. The most potent analogue exhibited a ∼37-fold enhancement in cytotoxicity compared to bacilotetrin C in a triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell line at submicromolar doses. The study further revealed that some of the analogues induced autophagy in cancer cells to the point of their demise at doses much lower than those of known autophagy-inducing peptides. The results demonstrated that the chemical synthesis of bacilotetrin C with suitable improvisation plays an important role in the development of novel anticancer chemotherapeutics, which would allow future rational design of novel autophagy inducers on this template.

Atom-economic catalytic amide synthesis from amines and carboxylic acids activated in situ with acetylenes

Amide bond-forming reactions are of tremendous significance in synthetic chemistry. Methodological research has, in the past, focused on efficiency and selectivity, and these have reached impressive levels. However, the unacceptable amounts of waste produced have led the ACS GCI Roundtable to label 'amide bond formation avoiding poor atom economy' as the most pressing target for sustainable synthetic method development. In response to this acute demand, we herein disclose an efficient one-pot amide coupling protocol that is based on simple alkynes as coupling reagents: in the presence of a dichloro[(2,6,10-dodecatriene)-1,12-diyl]ruthenium catalyst, carboxylate salts of primary or secondary amines react with acetylene or ethoxyacetylene to vinyl ester intermediates, which undergo aminolysis to give the corresponding amides along only with volatile acetaldehyde or ethyl acetate, respectively. The new amide synthesis is broadly applicable to the synthesis of structurally diverse amides, including dipeptides.

Total synthesis of the big four antibiotics and related antibiotics

The first total syntheses of a variety of antibiotics have been accomplished by using carbohydrates as a chiral source. The key target molecules were members of the 'Big Four' classes of antibiotics (macrolides, aminoglycosides, β-lactams and tetracyclines), naphthoquinone antibiotics and their related antibiotics.

A highly efficient macrolactonization method via ethoxyvinyl ester

We present the highly efficient reaction procedure of the macrolactonization method via ethoxyvinyl esters (EVEs). The following procedure was performed: 1) The EVE was prepared from hydroxycarboxylic acid and ethoxyacetylene in the presence of the Ru catalyst [RuCl(2)(p-cymene)](2) in acetone; 2) after filtration of the Ru catalyst through a short-neutral SiO(2) pad and evaporation of acetone, the EVE formed was diluted in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and the solution was slowly added by a syringe pump to the highly diluted DCE solution of pTsOH (10 mol %) at 80 degrees C. Various-sized lactones could be produced by the method described here. It is noteworthy that the method can give 9- to 14-membered macrolactones in good yields. This macrolactonization method via EVEs is useful for acid-/base-sensitive substrates. Furthermore, it was found that EVE formation was possible without loosing activity of the Ru catalyst even for the compounds with nucleophilic amine functions. The characteristic feature of the method was exemplified by the reaction of the compound 14 with many functional groups.

Stereoselective synthesis of (-)-amphidinolide E

The total synthesis of (-)-amphidinolide E was accomplished by following a synthetic scheme that incorporates the labile C2 stereocenter at a very late stage. The oxolane unit was prepared by beta-alkoxyacrylate radical cyclization. The enyne metathesis reaction was employed for the synthesis of the side chain. The Kocienski-Julia reaction was used for the union of the two major fragments, and the Kita macrolactonization protocol was used for macrolide synthesis.

The total synthesis of (+)-tedanolide--A macrocyclic polyketide from marine sponge Tedania ignis

Tedanolide, which was isolated by Schmitz in 1984 from the marine sponge Tedania ignis, is a highly cytotoxic macrolide leading to strong growth inhibition of P338 tumor cells in bioassays. A unique structural feature of the known tedanolides is the primary hydroxyl group incorporated in the macrolactone. This unusual motif for macrolactones originated from PKS biosynthesis might arise through lactonizations others than those derived by the thioesterase reaction. First experimental data that support this hypothesis and reflect the inherent preference of PKS-induced macrolactonization were obtained during this synthesis. The inherent preference for the formation of a 14-membered macrocyclization is discussed together with the pivotal steps in the synthesis.

Total synthesis and development of bioactive natural products

The first total synthesis and development of a variety of bioactive natural products have been accomplished by using carbohydrates as a chiral source. In addition, practically useful intermediates have been created, analogs of natural products have been prepared, their structure-activity relationships studied, and the large-scale preparations of medicinally useful compounds established. The key target molecules have been the "Big Four" antibiotics (macrolides, aminoglycosides, beta-lactams and tetracyclines), pyranonaphthoquinone antibiotics, glycosidase inhibitors, and a side-chain of cephem antibiotics.

Total Synthesis of Amphidinolide E and Amphidinolide E Stereoisomers

Four amphidinolide E stereoisomers, amphidinolide E (1), 2-epi-amphidinolide E (2), 19-epi-amphidinolide E (3), and 2-epi-19-epi-amphidinolide E (4), have been synthesized via the judicious union of aldehyde 5, allylsilanes 7 or 8, acids 9 or 10, and vinylstannane 6. The C19 stereocenters of the C19 epimeric allylsilanes 7 and 8 were introduced via crotylboration reactions early in the synthesis. [3+2]-Annulation reactions of aldehyde 5 with allylsilanes 7 and 8 were employed to set the core tetrahydrofuran units of 1-4. Finally, the C2 stereocenter was installed by esterification using acid 9, without incident, or with acid 10, in which case an unexpected and completely stereoselective inversion of C2 occurs.

1-alkoxyvinyl esters: renaissance of half-century-old acyl donors with potential applicability

Among the various kinds of acyl donors, the 1-alkoxyvinyl esters have characteristic features, such as a high reactivity under nearly neutral conditions and the generation of neutral and volatile esters as single coproducts. Although their use in organic syntheses began in the middle of the 1950s, no significant progress has been seen. This is probably because the existing method of preparing alkoxyvinyl esters used toxic mercuric salts and was not totally applicable for those esters having functionalized acyl moieties. We have discovered that the use of a catalytic amount of the less toxic [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 effectively accelerates the addition of carboxylic acids to ethoxyacetylene to give ethoxyvinyl esters bearing a variety of functionalized acyl groups in high yields. This discovery has opened a new avenue for developing new reactions and new synthetic methodologies based on the design and use of these acyl donors with suitable functional groups. Such examples include (i) the installation of hydrophilic acyl moieties on biologically active compounds, (ii) asymmetric Pummerer-type reactions, (iii) aromatic Pummerer-type reactions, (iv) the lipase-catalyzed desymmetrization of symmetrical 1,3-diols, and (v) lipase-catalyzed domino reactions. Future possibilities for these acyl donors are also discussed.

Combined epimerisation and acylation: Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley–Oppenauer catalysts in action

A practical racemisation-epimerisation method for chiral secondary alcohols has been developed. Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley-Oppenauer catalysts such as neodymium(III) isopropoxide are able to racemise these alcohols with retention of other stereocentres in the molecule. This is particularly useful for the recycling of the undesired products of kinetic resolutions of alcohols. By combination of such a racemisation with an acylation using isopropenyl or ethoxyvinyl esters as acyl donors, a fast straightforward recycling of starting materials may be achieved. The combined epimerisation and acylation process is demonstrated for the steroid estradiol methyl ether.

[Development of novel asymmetric reactions oriented to next-generation enzymatic organic syntheses]

Enzyme-catalyzed organic syntheses have enormous potential in the development of environmentally benign processes. In the last two decades, increased efforts have been devoted to making this a reality. However, the utility of the enzymes is generally limited. For example, although the lipases are extensively used for the kinetic resolution or the desymmetrization of alcohols and carboxylic acid derivatives, little is known about their ability to catalyze carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. In the past several years, we have been engaged in exploiting a next-generation enzymatic synthesis by using the lipases for the construction of carbon skeletons. This review article describes the results. First, the development of a new type of acyl donor, 1-ethoxyvinyl esters (EVEs), that have significant advantages over common acyl donors (e.g., vinyl esters) for lipase-catalyzed esterification reactions. Second, the highly enantioselective desymmetrization of prochiral 1,3-propanediols and meso 1,2-diols using 1-ethoxyvinyl 2-furoate. The application of this technology for the asymmetric syntheses of fredericamycin A analogues and the oxindoles with a chiral, nonracemic quaternary carbon center has been demonstrated. Third, the first lipase-catalyzed domino reaction using EVEs possessing a suitably functionalized acyl moiety is described. The acyl moiety installed during the enzymatic kinetic resolution was used as a part of the constituent structure for the subsequent Diels--Alder reaction to product optically pure tricyclic compounds with five chiral carbon centers via a one-pot operation. The potential influence of the lipase on the Diets--Alder reaction and the domino process accompanied by the dynamic kinetic resolution are also described.

[Development of novel synthetic organic reactions: synthesis of antitumor natural products and leading compounds for new pharmaceuticals]

Biologically active natural products with unique, highly complex molecular skeletons have been used as leading compounds for raw materials of new drugs. Due to the limitations of natural supply, highly efficient, large-scale syntheses and molecular design have been sought in drug discovery. For this purpose, we have focused on a synthetic strategy effective in developing novel reactions and reagents and found several useful regio- and stereospecific reactions, contributing to the synthesis of otherwise unattainable target molecules. The application of these reactions for the total synthesis of three types of potent cytotoxic natural products for the first time is described in this paper. The basic concept is first described. Then the total synthesis of anthracyclines, fredericamycin A, and discorhabdins is reported. Novel reactions using hypervalent iodine reagents under environmentally benign conditions are also described. The future prospects for this method are discussed.