Ready Access to Fluorinated Phosphonate Mimics of Secondary Phosphates. Synthesis of the (alpha,alpha-Difluoroalkyl)phosphonate Analogues of L-Phosphoserine, L-Phosphoallothreonine, and L-Phosphothreonine.

In addition to the previously recorded reactions of diethyl lithio(difluoromethyl)phosphonate (8) with primary triflates and aldehydes, we report here that 8 reacts with functionalized, but unactivated, methyl esters to give efficient acyl substitution. Thus, 8 reacts cleanly (-78 degrees C, THF) with the following methyl esters (product, yield): methyl (S)-isopropylideneglycerate (14, 99%), methyl (S)-3-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-2 -O-tetrahydropyranylglycerate (16, 85%), and the Garner ester derived from D-serine (15, 77%). Expeditious treatment of the resultant alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-keto phosphonates with hydride or Grignard reagents followed by alcohol deoxygenation provides a general method for the synthesis of (alpha,alpha-difluoroalkyl)phosphonate analogues of secondary phosphates. For tertiary alcohols, Dolan-MacMillan deoxygenation conditions are employed. The requisite methyl oxalate esters are obtained by an improved procedure wherein the lithium alkoxide of the hindered tertiary alcohol is irreversibly generated at low temperature and then condensed with methyl oxalyl chloride. Relative stereochemistry is assigned via conversion of the Garner ester derived Boc-amino alcohols to the corresponding cyclic, six-membered phosphonate esters and examination of their (1)H NMR spectra. The relevant vicinal coupling constants are extracted from these spectra by performing double quantum-filtered phase-sensitive COSY experiments. This new (difluoromethylene)phosphonate anion-methyl ester condensation, Grignard (hydride) addition, deoxygenation sequence has been applied to the synthesis of (alpha,alpha-difluoroalkyl)phosphonate analogues of L-phosphoserine (>/=96% ee) and L-phosphoallothreonine (93% ee) from D-serine and of L-phosphothreonine (91% ee) from L-glycerate, respectively.

The alpha,alpha-difluorinated phosphonate L-pSer-analogue: an accessible chemical tool for studying kinase-dependent signal transduction.

This overview focuses on the (alpha,alpha-difluoromethylene)phosphonate mimic of phosphoserine (pCF(2)Ser) and its application to the study of kinase-mediated signal transduction-pathways of great interest to drug development. The most versatile modes of access to these chemical biological tools are discussed, organized by method of PCF(2)-C bond formation. The pCF(2)-Ser mimic may be site-specifically incorporated into peptides (SPPS) and proteins (expressed protein ligation). This isopolar, dianionic pSer mimic results in a "constitutive phosphorylation" phenotype and is seen to support native protein-protein interactions that depend on serine phosphorylation. Signal transduction pathways studied with this chemical biological approach include the regulation of p53 tumor suppressor protein activity and of melatonin production. Given these successes, the future is bright for the use of such "teflon phospho-amino acid mimics" to map kinase-based signaling pathways.

Synthesis and evaluation of aminomethyl dihydrocinnamates as a new class of PPAR ligands.

PPAR ligands with varied subtype selectivity have been synthesized using an achiral aminomethyl dihydrocinnamate template. Several compounds in this series have demonstrated potent plasma glucose and triglyceride lowering capability in rodent models of type 2 diabetes.