Catalytic, Enantioselective ß-Protonation through a Cooperative Activation Strategy.

The NHC-catalyzed transformation of unsaturated aldehydes into saturated esters through an organocatalytic homoenolate process has been thoroughly studied. Leveraging a unique "Umpolung"-mediated ß-protonation, this process has evolved from a test bed for homoenolate reactivity to a broader platform for asymmetric catalysis. Inspired by our success in using the ß-protonation process to generate enals from ynals with good E/Z selectivity, our early studies found that an asymmetric variation of this reaction was not only feasible, but also adaptable to a kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols through NHC-catalyzed acylation. In-depth analysis of this process determined that careful catalyst and solvent pairing is critical for optimal yield and selectivity; proper choice of nonpolar solvent provided improved yield through suppression of an oxidative side reaction, while employment of a cooperative catalytic approach through inclusion of a hydrogen bond donor cocatalyst significantly improved enantioselectivity.

Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase by the furanosesquiterpenoid hibiscone C.

The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway regulates cellular metabolism and is upregulated in many cancers, making it an attractive chemotherapeutic target. Wortmannin is a potent inhibitor of PI3K; however, its potential as a chemotherapeutic is limited due to its instability, lack of selectivity, and lengthy chemical synthesis. In contrast, hibiscone C, a structurally simpler and less studied member of the furanosteroid family, has been expediently prepared by total synthesis. We demonstrate that hibiscone C competitively inhibits PI3K activity in intact cells, slows proliferation, and induces cell death. Hibiscone C may therefore serve as a productive scaffold for the development of therapeutically relevant PI3K inhibitors.

Regioselective semihydrogenation of dienes.

A one-pot, three-step strategy for the regioselective semihydrogenation of dienes is described. This procedure uses 9-BBN-H as a temporary protective group for alkenes. Yields range from 55% to 95%, and the reaction is tolerant of a variety of common functional groups. Additionally, the final elimination step of the sequence can be replaced with a peroxide-mediated alkylborane oxidation, generating regioselectively semihydrogenated product alcohols.

Total Synthesis of (±)-Hibiscone C.

A total synthesis of (±)- hibiscone C, one member of the furanosteroid family of natural products that also includes viridin and wortmannin, is reported. Two new pathways for formation of the key diacyl furan subunit are described.

An efficient synthesis of (+/-)-grandisol featuring 1,5-enyne metathesis.

An eight-step synthesis of (+/-)-grandisol features a key sequence involving a high-yielding, microwave-assisted enyne metathesis to yield a 1-alkenylcyclobutene that is semihydrogenated to yield a silyl-protected grandisol. Metathesis catalyst screens revealed an intriguing trend whereby substrate conversion correlated strongly with the identity of the ligands on the catalyst. In addition, new reactivity of 1-alkenylcyclobutenes toward hydrogenation is described.

Canvass: A Crowd-Sourced, Natural-Product Screening Library for Exploring Biological Space.

Natural products and their derivatives continue to be wellsprings of nascent therapeutic potential. However, many laboratories have limited resources for biological evaluation, leaving their previously isolated or synthesized compounds largely or completely untested. To address this issue, the Canvass library of natural products was assembled, in collaboration with academic and industry researchers, for quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) across a diverse set of cell-based and biochemical assays. Characterization of the library in terms of physicochemical properties, structural diversity, and similarity to compounds in publicly available libraries indicates that the Canvass library contains many structural elements in common with approved drugs. The assay data generated were analyzed using a variety of quality control metrics, and the resultant assay profiles were explored using statistical methods, such as clustering and compound promiscuity analyses. Individual compounds were then sorted by structural class and activity profiles. Differential behavior based on these classifications, as well as noteworthy activities, are outlined herein. One such highlight is the activity of (-)-2(S)-cathafoline, which was found to stabilize calcium levels in the endoplasmic reticulum. The workflow described here illustrates a pilot effort to broadly survey the biological potential of natural products by utilizing the power of automation and high-throughput screening.

The small molecule dispergo tubulates the endoplasmic reticulum and inhibits export.

The mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle that maintains a complex, compartmentalized organization of interconnected cisternae and tubules while supporting a continuous flow of newly synthesized proteins and lipids to the Golgi apparatus. Using a phenotypic screen, we identify a small molecule, dispergo, that induces reversible loss of the ER cisternae and extensive ER tubulation, including formation of ER patches comprising densely packed tubules. Dispergo also prevents export from the ER to the Golgi apparatus, and this traffic block results in breakdown of the Golgi apparatus, primarily due to maintenance of the constitutive retrograde transport of its components to the ER. The effects of dispergo are reversible, since its removal allows recovery of the ER cisternae at the expense of the densely packed tubular ER patches. This recovery occurs together with reactivation of ER-to-Golgi traffic and regeneration of a functional Golgi with correct morphology. Because dispergo is the first small molecule that reversibly tubulates the ER and inhibits its export function, it will be useful in studying these complex processes.

Synthesis of a 10,000-membered library of molecules resembling carpanone and discovery of vesicular traffic inhibitors.

Split-and-pool synthesis of a 10,000-membered library of molecules resembling the natural product carpanone has been achieved. The synthesis features development of solid-phase multicomponent reactions between nitrogen nucleophiles, enones, and hydroxylamines, and a solid-phase application of the Huisgen cycloaddition affording substituted triazoles. The synthesis was performed in high-capacity (500 microm) polystyrene beads using a one bead-one stock solution strategy that enabled phenotypic screens of the resulting library. Using whole-cell fluorescence imaging, we discovered a series of molecules from the carpanone-based library that inhibit exocytosis from the Golgi apparatus. The most potent member of this series has an IC(50) of 14 microM. We also report structure-activity relationships for the molecules exhibiting this interesting phenotype. These inhibitors of exocytosis may be useful reagents for the study of vesicular traffic.