Lithio Tris(methylthio)methane as Hydroxy/Thio/Aminocarbonyl Anion Equivalent: Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Amino Acid Esters, Thioesters, Amides, and Peptides.

The use of lithio tris(methylthio)methane as a hydroxy/thio/amino carbonyl anion equivalent in the synthesis of α-amino acids is reported. Addition of the reagent to nonracemic sulfinimines furnished the α-sulfinamido trithioformates in excellent diastereoselectivity. Unmasking the trithioformates to diverse functionalities, such as α-amino acid thioesters, esters, anilides, amides, and di/tri peptides, without epimerization of chiral centers was accomplished.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of trans-ß-Amino Cyclohexyl Ketones and trans-3-Amino-4-acyl-tetrahydropyrans from Intramolecular C-Alkylation of ω-Halo-Substituted ß-Sulfinamido Ketones.

Reaction of ω-halo-substituted nonracemic ß-sulfinamido ketones with NaH afforded the ß-amino cyclohexyl ketones in excellent yields and diastereoselectivity, via an intramolecular C-alkylation, α to the carbonyl group. The reaction was found to be general and can be applied for the synthesis of different cyclohexyl amino ketones and tetrahydropyrans possessing amine and acyl substitutions.

Four-Step Total Synthesis of (+)-Euphococcinine and (±)-Adaline.

A four-step enantiospecific total synthesis of bicyclic homotropinone alkaloid euphococcinine and a racemic synthesis of adaline were reported. Key reactions in the synthesis are the diastereoselective addition of a Wittig phosphorene to the ketimines derived from Davis-Ellman sulfinamides, ring-closing metathesis, and intramolecular Michael reactions.

γ-Hydroxy Amides from Tartaric Acid: Versatile Chiral Building Blocks for the Total Synthesis of Natural Products.

"Chiral pool" compounds possessing well defined stereocenters and suitable functionality serve as excellent building blocks for the synthesis of natural products and therapeutically important compounds. Tartaric acid is a C2 -symmetric molecule available in both enantiomeric forms. It was extensively utilized in the synthesis of privileged chiral ligands/catalysts such as TADDOLs, and as a start point in the synthesis of plethora of compounds. The advent of several new C-C bond forming reactions offers opportunity for the development of novel synthetic strategies based on chiral pool compounds. We found that the desymmetrization of the bis-dimethyl amide/Weinreb amide derived from tartaric acid can be accomplished by controlled addition of Grignard /organolithium reagents leading to the mono keto amides, the reduction of which affords the γ-hydroxy amides. This account describes our research efforts of more than a decade on the synthesis and application of diverse γ-hydroxy amides derived from tartaric acid in the total synthesis of structurally simple to complex bio-active natural products.

Addition of Lithium Anion of (Acetylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane to Nonracemic Sulfinimines: Total Synthesis of (+)-241D and Formal Total Synthesis of (+)-Preussin.

The addition of lithium anion of (acetylmethylene)triphenylphosphorane to nonracemic sulfinimines was investigated. It was found that the addition proceeded with good diastereoselectivity and further reaction of the formed sulfinimidophosphorane with several aldehydes afforded the ß-sulfinamido substituted enones in good yields. The resultant enones were elaborated to the synthesis of alkaloid (+)-241D, to the formal total synthesis of (+)-preussin, and to the synthesis of aminocyclopentenol.

Stereoselective Synthesis of ß-Amino Ynones by the Addition of Alkynones to Nonracemic Sulfinimines: Formal Total Synthesis of l-Xylo and l-Arabino Phytosphingosines.

The addition of silyl enol ethers obtained from ynones to sulfinimines furnished the corresponding ß-sulfinamido ynones in a very good yield and diastereoselectivity. The formed ynones serve as precursors amenable for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. This has been illustrated in the synthesis of l-xylo and l-arabino phytosphingosines.

Stereoselective Addition of a Lithium Anion of 1,1-Diphenyl-2-aza-pentadiene to Sulfinimines: Application to the Synthesis of (-)-Epiquinamide.

The addition of a lithium anion of diphenylallylimine to nonracemic sulfinimines was investigated. It was found that the reaction with sulfinimines derived from aliphatic aldehydes afforded the products with excellent diastereoselectivity (>99:1), furnishing the product vicinal diamines in very good yields. Application of the formed product vicinal diamines was demonstrated in the total synthesis of the natural product (-)-epiquinamide.

Furan Oxidation Strategy for the Synthesis of the Macrolactone Analogue of Migrastatin.

Synthesis of the 14-membered macrolide core of migrastatin is accomplished by the use of furyl carbinol in 13 linear steps from furfural with ∼11% overall yield. Key strategies in the synthesis include the oxidative ring opening of furan and its use as a four-carbon synthon, SN2 displacement of a functionalized allyl bromide, and ring closing metathesis to obtain the macrolactone.

Stereoselective Conjugate Addition of the Lithium Anion of N-Allyl Imine to Unsaturated Esters: Application to the Enantiospecific Total Synthesis of (-)-Epibatidine.

A regio- and diastereoselective conjugate addition of the lithium anion of N-allyl imine (prepared from allylamine and benzophenone) to α,ß-unsaturated esters in good yields is reported. The reaction was general and provided the γ-amino esters resulting from the regioselective C-C bond formation between the α-carbon to the nitrogen in the imine and the ß-carbon of the unsaturated ester. Synthetic utility of the formed products was illustrated in the nonracemic total synthesis of the bioactive alkaloid (-)-epibatidine.

Addition of the Lithium Anion of Diphenylmethanol Methyl/Methoxymethyl Ether to Nonracemic Sulfinimines: Two-Step Asymmetric Synthesis of Diphenylprolinol Methyl Ether and Chiral (Diphenylmethoxymethyl)amines.

Addition of the lithium anion generated from diphenylmethanol methyl and methoxymethyl ether to nonracemic sulfinimines afforded the corresponding addition products in excellent diastereoselctivity and yields. Deprotection of the MOM as well as sulfinyl groups rendered the enantiopure (diphenylhydroxymethyl)amines in excellent yields. The procedure was applied for a two-step synthesis of diphenylprolinol, a privileged ligand in asymmetric catalysis.

Synthesis of ß-Amino Ketones by Addition of Aryl Methyl Ketones to Sulfinimines: Application to the Total Synthesis of HPA-12, Norsedamine, and Sedamine.

Synthesis of ß-sulfinamido ketones was accomplished by the addition of silyl enol ethers derived from arylmethyl ketones to chiral sulfinimines in excellent yield and selectivity. Application of the formed ß-amino substituted ketones is exemplified in the total synthesis of sphingolipid HPA-12 and the sedamine alkaloids.

Total Synthesis of the Bis-silyl Ether of (+)-15-epi-Aetheramide A.

Synthesis of the macrolactone depsipeptide aetheramide A was attempted by three different approaches. The first approach to form the macrolactone involving macrolactonization to form the C1-C21 bond and the second approach using a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) strategy to form the C10-C11 olefinic bond failed. The third approach starting from R-mandelic acid, involving the RCM reaction to install the C18-C19 ring junction, was successful in assembling the macrolactone.

Synthesis of ß-Amino-Substituted Enones by Addition of Substituted Methyl Enones to Sulfinimines: Application to the Total Synthesis of Alkaloids (+)-Lasubine II and (+)-241D and the Formal Total Synthesis of (-)-Lasubine I.

Addition of silyl enol ethers obtained from substituted methyl enones to chiral sulfinimines afforded the ß-amino-substituted enones with excellent selectivity. Utility of the obtained N-sulfinyl ß-amino ketones possessing α,ß-unsaturation is exemplified in the total synthesis of the quinolizidine alkaloid natural products (-)-lasubine I, (+)-lasubine II, and substituted piperidine alkaloid (+)-241-D.

Enantiospecific formal total synthesis of iriomoteolide 3a.

A formal total synthesis of the marine macrolide iriomoteolide 3a is described. Salient features of the synthesis include the elaboration of a ß-keto phosphonate derived from D-(-)-tartaric acid and the extension of a chiral butyrolactone derived from L-glutamic acid. Ring-closing metathesis is employed to construct the macrolactone core of the natural product.

An unusual ring-contraction/rearrangement sequence for making functionalized di- and triquinanes.

A novel ring contraction/rearrangement sequence leading to functionalized 2,8-oxymethano-bridged di- and triquinane compounds is observed in the reaction of various substituted 1-methyl-4-isopropenyl-6-oxabicylo[3.2.1]octan-8-ones with Lewis acids. The reaction is novel and is unprecedented for the synthesis of di- and triquinane frameworks.

Enantiospecific total synthesis of macrolactone Sch 725674.

The enantiospecific total synthesis of 14-membered macrolactone Sch 725674 was accomplished from tartaric acid. Key reactions in the synthesis include the Ley's dithiaketalization of an alkynone derived from the bis-Weinreb amide of tartaric acid, Boord olefination, and ring-closing metathesis of an acrylate ester.

Total synthesis of (+)-seimatopolide A.

Total synthesis of 10-membered lactone (+)-seimatopolide A is presented from furfural. Key reactions in the present strategy include the effective use of furan as a E-but-2-ene-1,4-dione surrogate, Nagao acetate aldol reaction, and Shiina lactonization.

Facile synthesis of isochromanones and isoquinolones by AuCl3 catalyzed cascade triggered by an internal nucleophile.

Synthesis of isochromanones and isoquinolones comprising a quaternary center with high diastereoselectivity was realized via a AuCl3 catalyzed tandem intramolecular exo-dig heterocyclization/enol isomerization/Claisen rearrangement sequence in excellent yields. The reaction is general and amenable for the synthesis of structurally diverse analogues.

MPK-09, a small molecule inspired from bioactive styryllactone restores the wild-type function of mutant p53.

In the search for more efficacious and less toxic cancer drugs, the tumor suppressor p53 protein has long been a desirable therapeutic target. In the recent past, few independent studies have demonstrated that the antitumor activity of wild-type p53 can be restored in cancer cells harboring mutant form of p53 using small molecule activators. In this study, we describe a novel small molecule MPK-09, which is selective and highly potent against allele specific p53 mutations mainly, R175H, R249S, R273H, R273C, and E285K . Except E285K, all other mutations tested are among the six "hot spot" p53 mutations reported in majority of human cancer. Furthermore, our study conclusively demonstrates that the apoptotic activity of the small molecule MPK-09 against cancer cells harboring R273C and E285K mutations is due to restoration of the wild-type conformation to the corresponding mutant form of p53.