Total Synthesis of Geldanamycin

The total synthesis of geldanamycin, a well-known polyketide that exhibited potent anticancer activity by inhibiting Hsp90, was finished in 26 long linear steps with 2.65% overall yield. High convergency of the synthesis was achieved by the disconnection between C12 and C13 that gives C5-C12 and C13-C21 fragments as major building blocks. The use of an alkynyl ketone as the precursor of the C5-C12 fragment enabled a reagent-controlled establishment of C7 chirality and a highly flexible substituent exchange at C8, making the synthetic route suitable for deep-seated structural modifications on geldanamycin.

Synthesis of C3-C21 Segment of Aflastatin A Using Remote Asymmetric Induction Reactions

The C3-C21 segment of aflastatin A has been synthesized by converging three segments including the C3-C8 segment, the C9-C15 segment, and the C16-C21 segment. Each segment has been synthesized from a vinylketene silyl N,O-acetal possessing a chiral auxiliary by a wide-range stereocontrol strategy. The C3-C8 segment was constructed in seven steps including the stereoselective vinylogous Mukaiyama alkylation, while the C9-C15 segment and the C16-C21 segment were synthesized using the vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction in seven and eight steps, respectively.

Natural Products and Their Mimics as Targets of Opportunity for Discovery

Diverse structural types of natural products and their mimics have served as targets of opportunity in our laboratory to inspire the discovery and development of new methods and strategies to assemble polyfunctional and polycyclic molecular architectures. Furthermore, our efforts toward identifying novel compounds having useful biological properties led to the creation of new targets, many of which posed synthetic challenges that required the invention of new methodology. In this Perspective, selected examples of how we have exploited a diverse range of natural products and their mimics to create, explore, and solve a variety of problems in chemistry and biology will be discussed. The journey was not without its twists and turns, but the unexpected often led to new revelations and insights. Indeed, in our recent excursion into applications of synthetic organic chemistry to neuroscience, avoiding the more-traveled paths was richly rewarding.

C15-methoxyphenylated 18-deoxy-herbimycin A analogues, their in vitro anticancer activity and heat shock protein 90 binding affinity

Benzoquinone ansamycins are important leads for the discovery of novel inhibitors of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a promising target of cancer chemotherapeutics. Intrinsic hepatotoxicity caused by the benzoquinone moiety appeared to be a serious limitation to the development of these compounds. To solve this problem by rational structure optimization, a short series of C18-deoxy analogues of herbimycin A were designed based on putative interactions between the compound and the protein. Chemical synthesis of the target molecules were attempted by following the established synthetic route to the natural product, but resulted in the isolation of four serendipitous C15 phenylated final products. In vitro antiproliferative activity and Hsp90 binding affinity of the compounds were determined, suggesting the C18-oxygen of herbimycin A is removable and bulky lipophilic groups can be accommodated at C15 without loss of activity.

Total synthesis of herbimycin A

Benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic herbimycin A was synthesized in 19 linear steps and 4.2% yield. Highlighted is the design of a chiral γ-lactone as the C11-C15 synthon that enabled a facile catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the challenging C8-C20 fragment of the target molecule. The easy access to the stereogenic centers and high overall yield made the strategy applicable in the molecular editing of benzoquinone ansamycins.

Learning from nature: advances in geldanamycin- and radicicol-based inhibitors of Hsp90

Natural products have been fundamental in the development of new therapeutic agents predicated on the inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). This Perspective describes the influential role of the benzoquinone ansamycin geldanamycin and the resorcylic acid macrolactone radicicol not only in driving forward drug discovery programs but also in inspiring organic chemists to develop innovative methodology for the synthesis of natural products and analogues with improved properties.

Total synthesis of the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin

An enantioselective synthesis of the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin was achieved in 20 linear steps and 2.0% overall yield from 2-methoxyhydroquinone. The synthesis is highlighted by a regio- and stereoselective hydroboration reaction; a Sc(OTf)(3)/Et(3)SiH-mediated pyran ring-opening reaction; an enantioselective crotylation to simultaneously install the C8-C9 (E) -trisubstituted olefin, the C10 and C11 stereocenters; a chelation-controlled asymmetric metallated acetylide addition; and an intramolecular copper(I)-mediated aryl amidation reaction to close the 19-membered macrolactam.

Total synthesis of herbimycin A

[structure: see text] Hsp90 has recently emerged as a promising biological target for treatment of cancer. Herbimycin A and other members of the benzoquinoid ansamycin class of natural products are known to inhibit Hsp90 activity. The total synthesis of herbimycin A was achieved from the commercially available Roche ester 1 by using allylmetals to control the stereogenic centers at C6, C7, C10, C11, and C12 and a ring-closing metathesis to control the (Z)-double bond of the (E,Z)-dienic moiety.

Total Synthesis of Herbimycin A

[structure: see text] Herbimycin A (HA) belongs to a class of antibiotics known as the benzoquinoid ansamycins. Members of this class have shown promising biological activity as Hsp90 inhibitors. An enantioselective synthesis of HA is described, employing asymmetric syn-crotylation methodology to introduce the C10, C11, C14, and C15 stereocenters. The C6-C7 stereocenters were introduced using Brown's alpha-pinene-derived gamma-methoxy allylborane reagent. The C12 stereocenter was established by diastereoselective hydroboration.