SYNTHESIS OF PHOSPHONIC ACIDS RELATED TO THE ANTIBIOTIC FOSMIDOMYCIN FROM ALLYLIC α- AND γ-HYDROXYPHOSPHONATES

Deamination of 1-Aminoalkylphosphonic Acids: Reaction Intermediates and Selectivity

Deamination of 1-aminoalkylphosphonic acids in the reaction with HNO₂ (generated "in situ" from NaNO₂) yields a mixture of substitution products (1-hydroxyalkylphosphonic acids), elimination products (vinylphosphonic acid derivatives), rearrangement and substitution products (2-hydroxylkylphosphonic acids) as well as H₃PO₄. The variety of formed reaction products suggests that 1-phosphonoalkylium ions may be intermediates in such deamination reactions.

Design of Potential Bisubstrate Inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) 1-Deoxy-D-Xylulose 5-Phosphate Reductoisomerase (Dxr)-Evidence of a Novel Binding Mode

In most bacteria, the nonmevalonate pathway is used to synthesize isoprene units. Dxr, the second step in the pathway, catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reductive isomerization of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) to 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP). Dxr is inhibited by natural products fosmidomycin and FR900098, which bind in the DXP binding site. These compounds, while potent inhibitors of Dxr, lack whole cell activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) due to their polarity. Our goal was to use the Mtb Dxr-fosmidomycin co-crystal structure to design bisubstrate ligands to bind to both the DXP and NADPH sites. Such compounds would be expected to demonstrate improved whole cell activity due to increased lipophilicity. Two series of compounds were designed and synthesized. Compounds from both series inhibited Mtb Dxr. The most potent compound (8) has an IC₅₀ of 17.8 µM. Analysis shows 8 binds to Mtb Dxr via a novel, non-bisubstrate mechanism. Further, the diethyl ester of 8 inhibits Mtb growth making this class of compounds interesting lead molecules in the search for new antitubercular agents.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a phosphonate analog of the natural acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor cyclophostin

Two diastereomers of a phosphonate analog 6 of the AChE inhibitor cyclophostin were synthesized. The substitution reaction of phosphono allylic carbonate 10a with methyl acetoacetate gave the vinyl phosphonate 9a. Attempted hydrogenation/debenzylation gave an unexpected enolether lactone. Alternatively, selective hydrogenation, demethylation, cyclization and debenzylation gave the phosphonate analog of cyclophostin as a separable mixture of diastereomers 6. The trans phosphonate isomer was more active than the cis isomer against AChE from two sources.

α-Phenylethyl Substituted Bis(pivaloyloxymethyl) Ester Analogues of Fosmidomycin and FR900098

α-Phenylethyl substituted bis(pivaloyloxymethyl) ester analogues of the natural products Fosmidomycin and FR900098 have been synthesized, and their in vitro antimalarial activity determined. The α-phenylethyl substituted Fosmidomycin analogue displays moderate in vitro antimalarial activity against the chloroquine-sensitive strain 3D7 of Plasmodium falciparum.

Stereospecific Pd(O)-Catalyzed Malonate Additions to Allylic Hydroxy Phosphonate Derivatives: A Formal Synthesis of (−)-Enterolactone

A combination of cross-metathesis and malonate addition was applied to a formal synthesis of the mammalian lignan enterolactone 5. The cross-metathesis of alkene 6 and phosphonate 3a gave the substituted allylic phosphonate 3d. The palladium-catalyzed addition of malonate 10d to the allylic phosphonate 3d was stereospecific and highly regioselective and yielded the vinyl phosphonate 11d. The vinyl phosphonate 11d was converted in two steps into the lactone 14, a known intermediate in the synthesis of enterolactone 5.

Stereospecific Pd(0)-Catalyzed Arylation of an Allylic Hydroxy Phosphonate Derivative: Formal Synthesis of (S)-(+)-ar-Turmerone

Reaction of the (1S)-allylic hydroxy phosphonate 1(S) with methyl chloroformate in pyridine yields the corresponding carbonate 3(S). The carbonate 3(S) undergoes a palladium-catalyzed arylation with p-tolyl tributylstannane to give both the 1E and 1Z vinyl phosphonates 6 (85:15). The E and Z vinyl phosphonates 6 were shown to have the opposite configuration at C-3. The major vinyl phosphonate isomer (3S,1E), was converted to (3S)-3-(p-tolyl)-butanal 8(S), completing a formal total synthesis of (S)-ar-turmerone 5a.