A common strategy towards the synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-xylitol, deacetyl (+)-anisomycin and amino-substituted piperidine iminosugars.

A strategy towards the synthesis of three different target molecules, namely 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-xylitol, deacetyl (+)-anisomycin and amino-substituted piperidine iminosugars, molecules of potential biological and medicinal significance, is reported from a common amino-vicinal diol intermediate derived from tri-O-benzyl-d-glucal. Construction of the key pyrrolidine ring present in 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-l-xylitol and (+)-anisomycin was a consequence of thermodynamically driven concomitant intramolecular nucleophilic addition reaction of the amino group to the resultant aldehyde obtained by oxidative cleavage of the amino-vicinal diol. Alternatively, double nucleophilic substitution on an amino-diol, after mesylation, with various amines delivered amino-substituted piperidine iminosugars in good yields.

Alkoxyallene-based syntheses of preussin and its analogs and their cytotoxicity.

Short syntheses of oxa-preussin, racemic preussin and (-)-preussin are reported. Starting from a racemic 3-nonyl-substituted methoxyallene derivative, its lithiation and addition to phenylethanal provided the corresponding allenyl alcohol that was converted into two diastereomeric dihydrofuran derivatives by silver nitrate-catalyzed 5-endo-trig cyclization. The acid hydrolysis of the enol ether moiety gave heterocyclic ketones and subsequent highly stereoselective reductions with l-selectride furnished 2-benzyl-5-nonylfuran-3-ol derivatives in good overall yield. The major all-cis-diastereomer has the skeleton and relative configuration of preussin and is hence called oxa-preussin. An analogous sequence with the same allene, but an N-sulfonyl imine as the electrophile, finally led to racemic preussin. The stereoselectivities of the individual steps are discussed in detail. With an enantiopure 2-benzyl-5-nonylpyrrolidin-3-one intermediate the preparation of (-)-preussin with an enantiomeric ratio of >95 : 5 could be accomplished in a few steps. The sign of the optical rotation of this product finally proved the absolute configurations of its precursors and demonstrated that our chiral auxiliary-based route led to the antipode of the natural product. The cytotoxicity of several of the prepared heterocycles against MCF-7 tumor cells was investigated and five compounds, including racemic and enantiopure (-)-preussin, were identified as highly cytotoxic with IC50 values in the range of 3-6 µM.

An efficient approach to trans-4-hydroxy-5-substituted 2-pyrrolidinones through a stereoselective tandem Barbier process: divergent syntheses of (3R,4S)-statines, (+)-preussin and (-)-hapalosin.

A diastereoselective approach to trans-4-hydroxy-5-substituted 2-pyrrolidinones 1 (P1 = TBS, P2 = H) has been developed through a stereoselective tandem Barbier process of (R,SRS)-8 with alkyl and aryl bromide. The stereochemistry at the C-5 stereogenic center of the trans-4-hydroxy-5-substituted 2-pyrrolidinones was solely controlled by α-alkoxy substitution. This effective approach was successfully used to prepare a variety of substituted (3R,4S)-statines 2. In addition, two bioactive natural products of (+)-preussin 4 and hapalosin 5 were effectively synthesized through this stereoselective tandem Barbier process.

Three-step synthesis of (±)-preussin from decanal.

A straightforward and stereoselective synthesis of the alkaloid preussin is described starting from decanal and diethyl 3-diazo-2-oxopropylphosphonate. The key steps are an aza-Michael reaction from an α,ß-unsaturated diazoketone followed by a highly stereoselective Cu-catalyzed ylide formation and then a [1,2]-Stevens rearrangement. This strategy is feasible for extension to preussin analogues, demonstrating its utility for the rapid construction of all-cis-substituted pyrrolidines.

Enantioselective copper-catalysed propargylic substitution: synthetic scope study and application in formal total syntheses of (+)-anisomycin and (-)-cytoxazone.

A copper catalyst with a chiral pyridine-2,6-bisoxazoline (pybox) ligand was used to convert a variety of propargylic esters with different side chains (R=Ar, Bn, alkyl) into their amine counterparts in very high yields and with good enantioselectivities (up to 90% enantiomeric excess (ee)). Different amine nucleophiles were applied in the reactions and the highest enantioselectivities were obtained for aniline and its analogues. Interestingly, some carbon nucleophiles could also be used and with indoles excellent ee values were obtained (up to 98% ee). The versatility of the propargylic amines obtained was demonstrated by their further elaboration to formal total syntheses of the antibiotic (+)-anisomycin and the cytokine modulator (-)-cytoxazone.

A concise and stereoselective synthesis of hydroxypyrrolidines: rapid synthesis of (+)-preussin.

A convergent and stereoselective synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted 3-hydroxypyrrolidines has been developed that involves reductive annulation of ß-iminochlorohydrins, which are readily available from ß-ketochlorohydrins, and provides rapid access to a variety of 2,5-syn-pyrrolidines. Application of this process to the concise (three-step) synthesis of the fungal metabolite (+)-preussin and analogues of this substance is reported.

Highly regio- and enantioselective organocatalytic conjugate addition of alkyl methyl ketones to a beta-silylmethylene malonate.

(S)-N-(2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)pyrrolidine/trifluoroacetic acid (3:1) combination catalyzed the direct addition of alkyl methyl ketones to beta-dimethyl(phenyl)silylmethylene malonate at the methyl terminal with high yield and excellent regio- and enantioselectivity. The silyl group played crucial roles in regioselection and substrate reactivity.

Asymmetric synthesis of cis- and trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines from 3-oxo pyrrolidine 2-phosphonates: synthesis of (+)-preussin and analogs.

Pyrrolidine enones, derived from 3-oxo pyrrolidine 2-phosphonates and a HWE reaction with aldehydes, on Luche reduction give pyrrolidine allylic alcohols. The alcohols on hydrogenation (Pd/H2) give cis-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines and on treatment with TFA-NaBH3CN undergo a hydroxy directed reduction to trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines.

Application of Pd(0)-catalyzed intramolecular oxazine formation to the efficient total synthesis of (-)-anisomycin.

The enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-anisomycin, a potent antibiotic agent, has been achieved. The key steps are a Pd(0)-catalyzed stereoselective intramolecular oxazine formation from d-tyrosine and pyrrolidine formation by catalytic hydrogenation of the oxazine.

Biotinylated anisomycin: a comparison of classical and "click" chemistry approaches.

Two approaches to the synthesis of biotinylated derivatives of the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway activator anisomycin have been investigated. Attachment of the biotin moiety to the central core was achieved either through the use of a classical displacement reaction on alpha-halo carbonyl derivatives of biotin or through a copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition ("click") coupling of biotinylated azides to propargyl-marked analogues of anisomycin. In each case, the resultant N-linked molecular probes were found to be active in SAPK pathway immunoblot assays, while their O-linked counterparts were inactive. However, in sharp contrast to the classical coupling approach which results in low coupling yields, the aqueous "click" coupling process was found to deliver high yields of biotinylated probes, making it the conjugation method of choice. A survey of the available methods for the addition of a propargyl marker onto a range of chemical functionalities strongly suggests that this copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition approach to biotinylation may be generally applied.

A concise stereoselective synthesis of Preussin, 3-epi-Preussin, and analogues.

[reaction: see text] A new stereoselective synthesis of the antifungal and antitumor agents Preussin and 3-epi-Preussin via a Pd-catalyzed carboamination of a protected amino alcohol is described. The key transformation leads to simultaneous formation of the N-C2 bond and the C1'-aryl bond, and allows installation of the aryl group one step from the end of the sequence. This strategy permits the facile construction of a variety of preussin analogues bearing different aromatic groups.

Alpha-rhamnosidase inhibitory activities of polyhydroxylated pyrrolidine.

We designed and synthesized polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines 1-12 from L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, and D-tyrosine through iodine-mediated intramolecular cyclization followed by Woodward-Prevost reaction. The synthetic polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines were identified with structure-based inhibitory activity and selective inhibitory activity against alpha-rhamnosidase. (2S,3S,4R)-deacetyl anisomycin 7 was the best inhibitor among the 12 polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines because it possesses the same stereoconfiguration at C1, C2, C3 as alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside. An investigation into the nature of the inhibition showed that the synthetic pyrrolidines are competitive inhibitors. They also did not have remarkable inhibitory activity against seven glycosidases (alpha-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-amylase, beta-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-amylase, and invertase).

Light-mediated inhibition of protein synthesis.

The regulation of protein synthesis is vital for a host of cell biological processes, but investigating roles for protein synthesis have been hindered by the inability to selectively interfere with it. To inhibit protein synthesis with spatial and temporal control, we have developed a photo-releasable anisomycin compound, N-([6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl]methyloxycarbonyl)anisomycin (Bhc-Aniso), that can be removed through exposure to UV light. The area of protein synthesis inhibition can be restricted to a small light-exposed region or, potentially, the volume of two-photon excitation if a pulsed IR laser is the light source. We have tested the compound's effectiveness with an in vitro protein-translation system, CHO cells, HEK293 cells, and neurons. The photo-released anisomycin can inhibit protein synthesis in a spatially restricted manner, which will enable the specific inhibition of protein synthesis in subsets of cells with temporal and spatial precision.

Stereodivergent syntheses of anisomycin derivatives from D-tyrosine.

[structures: see text] Enantiomerically pure 2-alkyl-3-acetoxy-4-iodopyrrolidines with all groups cis, and all adjacent groups trans (10 and 17), important precursors for the synthesis of pyrrolidinediols, have been prepared from D-tyrosine through regio- and diastereoselective reduction of a vinyl ketone and subsequent iodoamidation controlled by minimization of nonbonding steric interactions. Highly stereodivergent Woodward-Prevost methodology, applied to both iodopyrrolidines, yielded enantiomerically pure (2R,3R,4R)-, (2R,3R,4S)-, and (2R,3S,4R)-deacetylanisomycin (3, 4, and 5), each in excellent de. Incorporation of differential protection of the hydroxyl groups led to a one-pot synthesis of (2R,3R,4R)-anisomycin 2.

Synthetic anisomycin analogues activating the JNK/SAPK1 and p38/SAPK2 pathways.

The synthesis of C(4)H and C(4)Me analogues of the JNK/p38 pathway activator anisomycin, based upon an aldol or Claisen construction of the C(3)-C(4) bond, has been demonstrated. The relative activation of the JNK/SAPK1 and p38/SAPK2 pathways in RAW macrophages by these analogues, and their synthetic precursors, has been assessed using immunoblot assays against phosphorylated c-Jun and MAPKAP-K2. These studies demonstrate that some of the synthetic C(4) analogues are also potent activators of these stress kinase pathways.

Short-step syntheses of all stereoisomers of preussin and their bioactivities.

All the eight stereoisomers of (+)-preussin (1b), an antifungal agent inhibiting the growth of fission yeast and human cancer cells, were synthesized in two steps by non-stereoselective reactions and chromatographic separation, starting from L- and D-N-protected-phenylalaninal (2). Their bioassay revealed all of the stereoisomers to be almost equally bioactive.

An aldol-based approach to the synthesis of the antibiotic anisomycin.

[reaction: see text] A new approach to the synthesis of the antibiotic anisomycin is reported that relies upon a key aldol disconnection. The glycolate aldol coupling proceeds in 75% yield and with >95% diastereoselectivity, which allows the 13-step synthesis to proceed in 35% overall yield.

Facile and efficient total synthesis of (+)-preussin.

[structure] The enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-preussin, a potent antifungal agent, has been achieved. The key steps are a Pd(0)-catalyzed oxazoline-forming reaction from L-phenylalanine, hydrogenolysis, and subsequent diastereoselective reductive cyclization of the intermediate aminoketone to pyrrolidine using Pearlman's catalyst.

The synthesis of (+)-preussin and related pyrrolidinols by diastereoselective Paternò-Büchi reactions of chiral 2-substituted 2,3-dihydropyrroles.

The N-alkoxycarbonyl substituted 2,3-dihydropyrroles 3 and 8 are converted to 2-benzyl-3-pyrrolidinols by the Paternò - Büchi reaction followed by hydrogenolysis. Since the addition of the photoexcited benzaldehyde at the unsaturated heterocycle proceeds in a syn fashion, the benzyl group at C-2 and the hydroxy group at C-3 of the product are cis oriented. The simple and facial diastereoselectivities of the Paternò-Büchi reaction were studied more closely and the relative configuration of the products was elucidated. The thermodynamically less stable endo product is formed as a result of simple diastereoselection. The face differentiation in 2-substituted 2,3-dihydropyrroles is presumably due to the nonplanarity of these heterocycles, which forces attack of the carbonyl group on the face with the existing substituent. All-cis-pyrrolidinols are consequently formed after hydrogenolysis. Following this route, a total synthesis of the pyrrolidinol alkaloid (+)-preussin (1) was conducted, which yielded the target compound in a total yield of 11% over nine steps starting from L-pyroglutaminol (11).