Natural macrocyclic molecules have a possible limited structural diversity.

This paper examines ring size patterns of natural product macrocycles. Evidence is presented that natural macrocycles containing 14-, 16-, and 18-membered rings are of frequent occurrence based on a data mining study. The results raise a question about the limited diversity of macrocycle ring sizes and the nature of the constraints that may cause them. The data suggest that the preference bears no relationship to the odd-even frequency in natural fatty acids. The trends reported here, along with those reported previously (Wessjohann et al. (2005) Mol Divers 9:171), may be generalized to better understand the possible structure preferences of natural macrocycles.

Implications for the existence of a heptasulfur linkage in natural o-benzopolysulfanes.

Natural o-benzopolysulfanes are often thought to exist as either the trisulfane or pentasulfane; the nomenclature has evolved around such notions. No study makes reference to the possible existence of natural o-benzoheptasulfanes. The work performed here indicates that a facile equilibration takes place between the tri-, penta-, and heptasulfanes (o-C(6)H(4)S(3), o-C(6)H(4)S(5), and o-C(6)H(4)S(7)) in solution. In these simpler (unnatural) compounds, the number of sulfur atoms can be established unequivocally from their independent syntheses. The o-benzopolysulfanes, even after purification, yield mixtures of compounds in solution. A similar equilibration may be anticipated for the corresponding natural products.

Planar chirality due to a polysulfur ring in natural pentathiepin cytotoxins. Implications of planar chirality for enantiospecific biosynthesis and toxicity.

A low-energy pathway for pentathiepin racemization has been found using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. 3-[1,2,3,4,5]pentathiepin-6-yl-propylamine served as a model compound for tunicate-derived pentathiepins. Pentathiepin racemization becomes a low-energy process in the presence of a thiolate ion nucleophile. It is unknown whether the biosynthetic process for pentathiepins is enantiospecific (Bentley, R. (2005) Chem. Soc. Rev. 34, 609) or whether toxicity differs between enantiomers. However, the ease of thiolate ion attack on the polysulfur ring suggests that nucleophiles may induce optical instability on the laboratory time scale. The DFT study predicts that enantiospecific behaviors such as toxicity differences between P- and M-pentathiepins would be difficult to determine experimentally. The computed results fit into a broader picture that nucleophiles assist in ring-opening and equilibration reactions of polysulfanes.

Regioselective (biomimetic) synthesis of a pentasulfane from ortho-benzoquinone.

A mechanism is proposed for the formation of cyclic 5,6,7,8,9-pentathiabenzocycloheptene-1,2-diol, 4, from the reaction of o-benzoquinone with reduced elemental sulfur, H2Sx. 1,6-conjugate addition to the quinone is favored over 1,4-conjugate addition. Hydrogen bonding to the quinone oxygen enhances the nucleophilicity of H2Sx by facilitating the removal of the S-H proton. We propose that initially formed 3-polysulfidobenzene-diol intermediates are oxidized to their corresponding quinones and closure of the polysulfur ring subsequently takes place at the C3-C4 bond leading to 4. A possible mechanism for the formation of the pentasulfur linkage in 4 is discussed, which is the key moiety found in a number of natural products.

Tuning the Bergman cyclization by introduction of metal fragments at various positions of the enediyne. Metalla-Bergman cyclizations.

We expand the scope of the Bergman cyclization by exploring computationally the rearrangement of two osmaenediynes and one rhodaenediyne. The three hypothetical metallaenediynes are constructed by substituting the 14-electron Os(PH3)3 fragment for the C fragment, or the 15-electron Os(PH3)3H or Rh(PH3)3 fragments for the sp2 CH fragment, of 3-ene-1,5-diyne. This replacement is guided by the isolobal analogy and previous metallabenzene chemistry. The rearrangement of osmaenediyne with an Os(PH3)3 fragment in place of C is exothermic by 3 kcal/mol (the parent Bergman reaction is computed to be endothermic by 5 kcal/mol) and associated with a significant decrease in the barrier to rearrangement to 13 kcal/mol (the Ea of the parent reaction computed at the same level of theory is 33 kcal/mol). The replacement of a CH by the isolobal analogue Os(PH3)3H reduces the energy of activation for the rearrangement to 23 kcal/mol and produces a corresponding metalladiradical that is 8 kcal/mol less stable that the corresponding osmaenediyne. The activation energy corresponding to the rearrangement of the rhodaenediyne is the same as that of the organic parent enediyne. Interesting polytopal rearrangements of metallaenediynes and the diradical nature of the resulting intermediates are also explored.

Substituent effects on the reactivity of benzo-1,2-dithiolan-3-one 1-oxides and their possible application to the synthesis of DNA-targeting drugs.

The efficiency of polysulfane product generation has been investigated for n-propyl thiol reactions with ortho- and para-substituted benzo-1,2-dithiolan-3-one 1-oxides in acetonitrile-water (7:3) mixtures. The reaction is facilitated by reducing the electron density at the para position or by placing substituents bearing lone pair electrons ortho to the dithiolanone-oxide (S1) reaction center. Through-space and through-bond effects both contribute to the conversion of polysulfane products.

Polysulfane antitumor agents from o-benzyne. An odd-even alternation found in the stability of products o-C6H4Sx (x = 1-8).

Benzyne is shown to add elemental sulfur and give rise to a series of polysulfane compounds. A computational and experimental study is presented. Odd-membered o-C6H4Sx rings (x = 1-8), except x = 1, which suffers from ring strain, have enhanced stability compared to even-membered rings. The acquisition of "odd-even" data may shed new light, revealing patterns on polysulfane stability and structure.

The role of amine in the mechanism of pentathiepin (polysulfur) antitumor agents.

A computational and experimental study is presented, which provides the first evidence that amine has an opportunity to engage in bonding with pentathiepin to promote its decomposition. The study provides mechanistic insight into the process that gives rise to pentathiepin biological activity. Primary or secondary amine will allow for an intramolecular addition to the pentathiepin ring at the nearest sulfur (S1). In contrast, tertiary amine adds reversibly to S1, because nitrogen cannot lose its positive charge by deprotonation. This precludes the amine promotion step. An energetically low-lying process is characterized, corresponding to S3-loss triggered by nucleophilic activation with a primary or secondary amine. Pentathiepin desulfurization via S3-unit transfer is supported by a trapping study with norbornene. That the amine may confer an enhanced reactivity in the natural products varacin, 1, and lissoclinotoxin A, 2, adds to the understanding of the pathway for pentathiepin activation and may provide new design concepts that have potential applications for this class of biocides.