Formal Synthesis of Ecteinascidin 743 via an Intramolecular Cascade Heck Reaction to Construct the Diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane Framework.

A synthetic route to ecteinascidin 743 has been established via an intramolecular cascade Heck reaction to construct the diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane skeleton while controlling the two contiguous stereogenic centers. The strategically formed five-membered ring was oxidatively cleaved to generate a dialdehyde intermediate, from which the B ring of ecteinascidin 743 was constructed.

Photo-oxygenation by a biocompatible catalyst reduces amyloid-ß levels in Alzheimer's disease mice.

Amyloid formation and the deposition of the amyloid-ß peptide are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Immunotherapies using anti-amyloid-ß antibodies have been highlighted as a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease by enhancing microglial clearance of amyloid-ß peptide. However, the efficiency of antibody delivery into the brain is limited, and therefore an alternative strategy to facilitate the clearance of brain amyloid is needed. We previously developed an artificial photo-oxygenation system using a low molecular weight catalytic compound. The photocatalyst specifically attached oxygen atoms to amyloids upon irradiation with light, and successfully reduced the neurotoxicity of aggregated amyloid-ß via inhibition of amyloid formation. However, the therapeutic effect and mode of actions of the photo-oxygenation system in vivo remained unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that photo-oxygenation facilitates the clearance of aggregated amyloid-ß from the brains of living Alzheimer's disease model mice, and enhances the microglial degradation of amyloid-ß peptide. These results suggest that photo-oxygenation may represent a novel anti-amyloid-ß strategy in Alzheimer's disease, which is compatible with immunotherapy.

Total Synthesis of Haliclonin†A.

The total synthesis of haliclonin A was accomplished. Starting from 3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid, a functionalized cyclohexanone fused to a 17-membered ring was prepared through a Birch reduction/alkylation sequence, ring-closing metathesis, intramolecular cyclopropanation, and stereoselective 1,4-addition of an organocopper reagent to an enone moiety. Reductive C-N bond formation via an N,O-acetal forged the 3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core. The allyl alcohol moiety was constructed by a sequence involving stereoselective α-selenylation of an aldehyde via an enamine, syn-elimination of a selenoxide, and allylation of the aldehyde with an allylboronate. Formation of the 15-membered ring containing a skipped diene was achieved by ring-closing metathesis, and final transformations led to the synthesis of haliclonin A.

A novel translation inhibitor, mersicarpine, inhibits S-phase progression and induces apoptosis in HL60 cells.

Mersicarpine is an aspidosperma alkaloid isolated from the Kopsia genus of plants. Its intriguing structural features have attracted much attention in synthetic organic chemistry, but no biological activity has been reported. Here, we report the effects of mersicarpine on human leukemia cell line HL60. At concentrations above 30 µm, mersicarpine reversibly arrested cell cycle progression in S-phase. At higher concentrations, it induced not only production of reactive oxygen species, but also apoptosis. Macromolecular synthesis assay revealed that mersicarpine specifically inhibits protein synthesis. These results suggest that mersicarpine is a novel translation inhibitor that induces apoptosis.

Total Synthesis of Tetrodotoxin.

A total synthesis of tetrodotoxin was accomplished. A Diels-Alder reaction between a known enone and a siloxy diene gave a tricyclic product, the steric bias of which was used to construct the remaining stereogenic centers. A nitrogen atom was introduced either by a four-step sequence involving a Curtius rearrangement, or a three-step sequence featuring a newly developed transformation of a terminal alkyne into a nitrile. Introduction of the guanidine moiety followed by the formation of the heterocyclic system by cascade reactions led to tetrodotoxin.

Synthetic Studies of Isoschizogamine: Alternative Preparation of the Key Intermediate.

An alternative synthetic route toward a key intermediate in the total synthesis of isoschizogamine is described. The Claisen-Johnson rearrangement stereoselectively constructed a quaternary carbon. Trifluoroperacetic acid mediated the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to form a bicyclic lactone. The Mukaiyama-Matsuo protocol converted the lactone into an α,ß-unsaturated lactone, that was used as the substrate for the rhodium-mediated 1,4-addition of an arylboronic acid.

Synthetic Studies of the Daphniphyllum Alkaloids: A Cooperative Reaction of Proximal Functional Groups Forming a Tetracyclic System.

During the course of synthetic studies of the Daphniphyllum alkaloids, an unusual reaction of a rhodium carbenoid was observed. The bicyclic substrate, in which an α-diazo-ß-ketoester moiety was present at the 3-position of a 1,4-diene moiety, was treated with rhodium pivalate to produce an intermediate having diene and ketene moieties. This intermediate underwent an intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction to form a tetracyclic compound.

Synthesis of the [7-5-5] tricyclic core of Daphniphyllum alkaloids.

The [7-5-5] tricyclic core of the Daphniphyllum alkaloids was constructed, featuring a Claisen-Ireland rearrangement to install the two contiguous stereogenic centers, E1cB elimination to form the tetrasubstituted C-C double bond, and a 2,3-Wittig rearrangement to construct the quaternary carbon. Ring-closing metathesis and an intramolecular carbonyl ene reaction were employed for construction of the requisite ring system.

Total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid.

A total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid, which features the C-C bond formation between C10 and C11 via cleavage of an aziridine ring, was accomplished.

Total Synthesis of Huperzine R.

A total synthesis of huperzine R was accomplished. Intramolecular cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide and reductive cleavage of the resulting isoxazoline induced sequential cleavage of the C-C and C-O bonds to form the characteristic bicyclic lactam core with an enone moiety. Construction of the butenolide moiety from the enone afforded huperzine R.

Synthesis of Cardiopetaline via a Wagner-Meerwein Rearrangement without Preactivation of the Pivotal Hydroxy Group.

A synthesis of cardiopetaline has been accomplished via a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of a diol having the denudatine skeleton. The Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement could be facilitated simply by heating the diol with p-toluenesulfonic acid in pivalic acid, without preactivating the pivotal hydroxy group. This strategy does not require differentiation of several hydroxy groups in the substrate for the Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement and could be applied to the synthesis of more highly oxygenated aconitine-type diterpenoid alkaloids.

High-throughput Screening of Small Molecule Inhibitors of the Streptococcus Quorum-sensing Signal Pathway.

The main components of the quorum-sensing system are expected to be favorable targets for drug development to combat various chronic infectious diseases. ComA of Streptococcus is an ATP-binding cassette transporter containing a peptidase domain (PEP), which is essential for the quorum-sensing signal production. Using high-throughput screening, we found a potent small molecule that suppressed the S. mutans quorum-sensing pathway through inhibition of PEP activity. The compound effectively attenuated the biofilm formation and competence development of S. mutans without inhibiting cell growth. The kinetic and structural studies with this molecule and a related compound unexpectedly revealed an allosteric site of PEP. This relatively hydrophobic site is thought to undergo large structural changes during the catalytic process. These compounds inhibit PEP activity by binding to and suppressing the structural changes of this site. These results showed that PEP is a good target for inhibitors of the Streptococcus quorum-sensing system.

Total Synthesis of Huperzine Q.

The total synthesis of huperzine Q was accomplished. The synthesis features the construction of the cis-hydrindane skeleton via a Diels-Alder reaction and a ring contraction reaction of an epoxyketone.

Total Syntheses of Aurachins†A and B.

Aurachins A and B are alkaloids having 3-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide cores. An efficient method for the synthesis of 3-hydroxyquinoline N-oxides was established and is amenable to the total syntheses of aurachins A and B. Alkylation of 1-(2-nitrophenyl)butan-2-one with farnesyl bromide took place selectively at the benzylic position, and subsequent treatment of the alkylated product with sodium tert-butoxide in dimethyl sulfoxide gave aurachin B. Alkylation of 1-(2-nitrophenyl)butan-2-one with an epoxy iodide derived from farnesol was used to access aurachin A.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Morphine.

Asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-morphine has been accomplished in 18 steps from commercially available 7-methoxy-2-tetralone. Our synthesis features a simple transformation from a readily prepared chiral intermediate, construction of the E-ring by acid-mediated cyclization, and singlet oxygen-mediated manipulation of the C-ring. Transformation of the final stage involves construction of the morphinan skeleton by means of 1,6-addition of in situ generated secondary amine.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Tetrodotoxin and 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol.

The enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-tetrodotoxin [(-)-TTX] and 4,9-anhydrotetrodotoxin, which are selective blockers of voltage-gated sodium channels, was accomplished from the commercially available p-benzoquinone. This synthesis was based on efficient stereocontrol of the six contiguous stereogenic centers on the core cyclohexane ring through Ogasawara's method, [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of an allylic cyanate, and intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide. Our synthetic route was applied to the synthesis of the tetrodotoxin congeners 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol and 4,9-anhydro-11-norTTX-6(R)-ol through late-stage modification of the common intermediate. Neutral deprotection at the final step enabled easy purification of tetrodotoxin and 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol without competing dehydration to their 4,9-anhydro forms.

Chemical Transformation of an Intermediate in the Synthesis of Huperzine A, Leading to a Diverse Array of Molecules.

Chemical transformation of an early intermediate in our synthesis of huperzine A provided a diverse array of molecules in which a variety of functional groups could be embedded.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Hinckdentine A via a Catalytic Dearomatization Approach.

Optically pure hinckdentine A was synthesized on a 300 mg scale via an asymmetric catalysis-based strategy. The key steps to the first asymmetric synthesis involved (i) enantioselective dearomative cyclization of an achiral N-acyl indole that allowed for the efficient construction of the key polycyclic indoline intermediate with a crucial tetrasubstituted stereogenic carbon center, (ii) Beckmann fragmentation-mediated ring expansion, (iii) rearrangement-based introduction of an anilinic nitrogen atom, (iv) regioselective tribromination, and (v) final closure of the cyclic amidine moiety.

Unified Total Synthesis of Five Gelsedine-Type Alkaloids: (-)-Gelsenicine, (-)-Gelsedine, (-)-Gelsedilam, (-)-14-Hydroxygelsenicine, and (-)-14,15-Dihydroxygelsenicine.

The systematic arrangement of a two-carbon unit, hydrogen atom, and oxygen atom on the versatile enal moiety of a non-natural synthetic intermediate successfully led to the unified access to the gelsedine-type alkaloids. The development and use of this new synthetic hub and an array of site-selective transformations resulted in the asymmetric synthesis of (-)-gelsenicine, (-)-gelsedine, (-)-gelsedilam, (-)-14-hydroxygelsenicine, and (-)-14,15-dihydroxygelsenicine.

Conversion of Vindoline into 11-Mesyloxytabersonine.

Conversion of readily available vindoline to 11-mesyloxytabersonine, a versatile synthetic intermediate for indole alkaloids, has been achieved by a 9-step sequence in 39% overall yield.