Scalable Total Synthesis of (+)-Desmethylxestospongin B.

Herein, the execution of synthetic strategies solving scalability issues observed in the original route is reported, increasing the total yield by 50% compared to the previously disclosed synthesis. A notable restructuring of the route's initial steps to reach a common allylic alcohol intermediate employs a highly stereoselective epoxidation method and avoids superfluous protecting group manipulations while limiting dependence on kinetic resolution in establishing stereochemistry for four of the six chiral centers in (+)-desmethylxestospongin B. Different protecting group strategies to avoid problems with their subsequent removal were considered and enacted; to this end, material was retained as byproducts were suppressed. While the lactam semireduction under Birch conditions requires further investigation, the updated synthesis of (+)-desmethylxestospongin B reported here made it more scalable, affording 0.37 g of this natural product for continued biological studies.

A Ca2+-Dependent Mechanism Boosting Glycolysis and OXPHOS by Activating Aralar-Malate-Aspartate Shuttle, upon Neuronal Stimulation.

Calcium is an important second messenger regulating a bioenergetic response to the workloads triggered by neuronal activation. In embryonic mouse cortical neurons using glucose as only fuel, activation by NMDA elicits a strong workload (ATP demand)-dependent on Na+ and Ca2+ entry, and stimulates glucose uptake, glycolysis, pyruvate and lactate production, and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in a Ca2+-dependent way. We find that Ca2+ upregulation of glycolysis, pyruvate levels, and respiration, but not glucose uptake, all depend on Aralar/AGC1/Slc25a12, the mitochondrial aspartate-glutamate carrier, component of the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS). MAS activation increases glycolysis, pyruvate production, and respiration, a process inhibited in the presence of BAPTA-AM, suggesting that the Ca2+ binding motifs in Aralar may be involved in the activation. Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) silencing had no effect, indicating that none of these processes required MCU-dependent mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. The neuronal respiratory response to carbachol was also dependent on Aralar, but not on MCU. We find that mouse cortical neurons are endowed with a constitutive ER-to-mitochondria Ca2+ flow maintaining basal cell bioenergetics in which ryanodine receptors, RyR2, rather than InsP3R, are responsible for Ca2+ release, and in which MCU does not participate. The results reveal that, in neurons using glucose, MCU does not participate in OXPHOS regulation under basal or stimulated conditions, while Aralar-MAS appears as the major Ca2+-dependent pathway tuning simultaneously glycolysis and OXPHOS to neuronal activation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuronal activation increases cell workload to restore ion gradients altered by activation. Ca2+ is involved in matching increased workload with ATP production, but the mechanisms are still unknown. We find that glycolysis, pyruvate production, and neuronal respiration are stimulated on neuronal activation in a Ca2+-dependent way, independently of effects of Ca2+ as workload inducer. Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) does not play a relevant role in Ca2+ stimulated pyruvate production and oxygen consumption as both are unchanged in MCU silenced neurons. However, Ca2+ stimulation is blunt in the absence of Aralar, a Ca2+-binding mitochondrial carrier component of Malate-Aspartate Shuttle (MAS). The results suggest that Ca2+-regulated Aralar-MAS activation upregulates glycolysis and pyruvate production, which fuels mitochondrial respiration, through regulation of cytosolic NAD+/NADH ratio.

Remote Stereocontrol in the Ireland-Claisen Rearrangement by δ-Alkoxy Group.

Remote stereocontrol in the Ireland-Claisen rearrangement using a chiral acetonide that serves as internal stereocontrol element is an effective and general method for chirality transfer from a δ-hydroxyl group in the allylic alcohol unit. This strategy circumvents the need for redundant chirality at the α-position allylic alcohol, while simultaneously producing a terminal alkene that can streamline synthetic applications and complex molecule synthesis planning.

Lithium Enolate with a Lithium-Alkyne Interaction in the Enantioselective Construction of Quaternary Carbon Centers: Concise Synthesis of (+)-Goniomitine.

We report a method for direct enantioselective alkylation of 3-alkynoic and 2,3-alkendioic acids that form quaternary stereogenic centers, and application of this method to the total enantioselective synthesis of a complex alkaloid (+)-goniomitine. The methods were effective in the alkylation of both 3-alkynoic acids, 2,3-alkendioic acids substrates with a broad range of heterocyclic and functionalized alkyl group substituents. Accompanying crystallographic studies provide mechanistic insight into the structure of well-defined chiral aggregates, highlighting cation-π interactions between lithium and alkyne groups.

Scalable Total Synthesis, IP3R Inhibitory Activity of Desmethylxestospongin†B, and Effect on Mitochondrial Function and Cancer Cell Survival.

The scalable synthesis of the oxaquinolizidine marine natural product desmethylxestospongin B is based on the early application of Ireland-Claisen rearrangement, macrolactamization, and a late-stage installation of the oxaquinolizidine units by lactam reduction. The synthesis serves as the source of material to investigate calcium signaling and its effect on mitochondrial metabolism in various cell types, including cancer cells.

Concise Synthesis of (+)-[13 C4 ]-Anatoxin-a by Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of a Cyclic Iminium Ion.

An asymmetric total synthesis of [13 C4 ]-anatoxin-a ([13 C4 ]-1) has been developed from commercially available ethyl [13 C4 ]-acetoacetate ([13 C4 ]-15). The unique requirements associated with isotope incorporation inspired a new, robust, and highly scalable route, providing access to 0.110 g of this internal standard for use in the detection and precise quantification of anatoxin-a in freshwater. A highlight of the synthesis is a method that leverages a cyclic iminium ion racemization to achieve dynamic kinetic resolution in an enantioselective Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) cyclization.

Enantioselective Alkylation of 2-Alkylpyridines Controlled by Organolithium Aggregation.

Direct enantioselective α-alkylation of 2-alkylpyridines provides access to chiral pyridines via an operationally simple protocol that obviates the need for prefunctionalization or preactivation of the substrate. The alkylation is accomplished using chiral lithium amides as noncovalent stereodirecting auxiliaries. Crystallographic and solution NMR studies provide insight into the structure of well-defined chiral aggregates in which a lithium amide reagent directs asymmetric alkylation.

Synthetic Pinnatoxins A and G Reversibly Block Mouse Skeletal Neuromuscular Transmission In Vivo and In Vitro.

Pinnatoxins (PnTXs) A-H constitute an emerging family belonging to the cyclic imine group of phycotoxins. Interest has been focused on these fast-acting and highly-potent toxins because they are widely found in contaminated shellfish. Despite their highly complex molecular structure, PnTXs have been chemically synthetized and demonstrated to act on various nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes. In the present work, PnTX-A, PnTX-G and analogue, obtained by chemical synthesis with a high degree of purity (>98%), have been studied in vivo and in vitro on adult mouse and isolated nerve-muscle preparations expressing the mature muscle-type (α1)2ß1δε nAChR. The results show that PnTX-A and G acted on the neuromuscular system of anesthetized mice and blocked the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) in a dose- and time-dependent manner, using a minimally invasive electrophysiological method. The CMAP block produced by both toxins in vivo was reversible within 6-8 h. PnTX-A and G, applied to isolated extensor digitorum longus nerve-muscle preparations, blocked reversibly isometric twitches evoked by nerve stimulation. The action of PnTX-A was reversed by 3,4-diaminopyridine. Both toxins exerted no direct action on muscle fibers, as revealed by direct muscle stimulation. PnTX-A and G blocked synaptic transmission at mouse neuromuscular junctions and PnTX-A amino ketone analogue (containing an open form of the imine ring) had no effect on neuromuscular transmission. These results indicate the importance of the cyclic imine for interacting with the adult mammalian muscle-type nAChR. Modeling and docking studies revealed molecular determinants responsible for the interaction of PnTXs with the muscle-type nAChR.

Short Total Synthesis of [15N5]-Cylindrospermopsins from 15NH4Cl Enables Precise Quantification of Freshwater Cyanobacterial Contamination.

Fresh water cyanobacterial algal blooms represent a major health risk because these organisms produce cylindrospermopsin, a toxic, structurally complex, zwitterionic uracil-guanidine alkaloid recognized by the EPA as a dangerous drinking water contaminant. At present, the ability to detect and quantify the presence of cylindrospermospin in water samples is severely hampered by the lack of an isotopically labeled standard for analytical mass spectrometry. Herein, we present a concise, scaled total synthesis of 15N cylindrospermosin from 15N ammonium chloride, which leverages a unique stereoselective intramolecular double conjugate addition step to assemble the tricyclic guanidine core. In addition to providing the first pure isotopically labeled probe for precise quantification of this potent biotoxin in fresh water sources, our results demonstrate how unique constraints associated with isotope incorporation compel novel solutions to synthesis design.

Total Synthesis of (+)-Guadinomic Acid via Hydroxyl-Directed Guanidylation.

Protecting-group-free total synthesis of (+)-guadinomic acid is reported using δ-valerolactone as a readily available starting material. The protocol utilizes the recent hydroxyl-directed guanidylation of unactivated alkenes as an approach for direct stereoselective incorporation of the guanidine unit furnishing the natural product in 7 steps.

Cutting-Edge and Time-Honored Strategies for Stereoselective Construction of C-N Bonds in Total Synthesis.

The main objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive survey of methods used for stereoselective construction of carbon-nitrogen bonds during the total synthesis of nitrogen-containing natural products that have appeared in the literature since 2000. The material is organized by specific reaction in order of decreasing number of applications in natural product synthesis. About 800 total syntheses of natural products with stereogenic carbon-nitrogen bonds described since 2000 have been reviewed.

Antidiabetic Disruptors of the Glucokinase-Glucokinase Regulatory Protein Complex Reorganize a Coulombic Interface.

The glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) plays an essential role in glucose homeostasis by acting as a competitive inhibitor of glucokinase (GCK) and triggering its localization to the hepatocyte nucleus upon glucose deprivation. Metabolites such as fructose 6-phosphate and sorbitol 6-phosphate promote assembly of the GCK-GKRP complex, whereas fructose 1-phosphate and functionalized piperazines with potent in vivo antidiabetic activity disrupt the complex. Here, we establish the molecular basis by which these natural and synthetic ligands modulate the GCK-GKRP interaction. We demonstrate that a small-molecule disruptor of the protein-protein interaction utilizes a two-step conformational selection mechanism to associate with a rare GKRP conformation constituting 3% of the total population. Conformational heterogeneity of GKRP is localized to the N-terminus and deleting this region eliminates the ability of sorbitol 6-phosphate to promote the GCK-GKRP interaction. Stabilizing ligands favor an extended N-terminus, which sterically positions two arginine residues for optimal Coulombic interaction with a pair of carboxylate side chains from GCK. Conversely, disruptors promote a more compact N-terminus in which an interfacial arginine residue is stabilized in an unproductive orientation through a cation-π interaction with tyrosine 75. Eliminating the ability to sample this binding impaired conformation enhances the intrinsic inhibitory activity of GKRP. Elucidating the molecular basis of ligand-mediated control over the GCK-GKRP interaction is expected to impact the development and future refinement of therapeutic agents for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which result from improper GKRP regulation of GCK.

Total Synthesis of Unsymmetrically Oxidized Nuphar Thioalkaloids via Copper-Catalyzed Thiolane Assembly.

An asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-6-hydroxythiobinupharidine (1b) and (-)-6-hydroxythionuphlutine (2b), a set of hemiaminal containing dimeric sesquiterpenes isolated from yellow water lilies of the Nuphar genus, is described. The central bis-spirocyclic tetrahydrothiophene ring was forged through the Stevens rearrangement of a sulfonium ylide, generated in situ from the coupling of a copper-carbene with a spirocyclic thietane. This strategy diverges both from the proposed biosynthesis1 and previous syntheses of this family of alkaloids,2,3 all of which employ dimerization of symmetric monomers to form the aforementioned thiaspirane. The coupling of unsymmetrical monomers allowed access to the unsymmetrically oxidized product 2b for the first time.

Lithium Enolates in the Enantioselective Construction of Tetrasubstituted Carbon Centers with Chiral Lithium Amides as Noncovalent Stereodirecting Auxiliaries.

Lithium enolates derived from carboxylic acids are ubiquitous intermediates in organic synthesis. Asymmetric transformations with these intermediates, a central goal of organic synthesis, are typically carried out with covalently attached chiral auxiliaries. An alternative approach is to utilize chiral reagents that form discrete, well-defined aggregates with lithium enolates, providing a chiral environment conducive of asymmetric bond formation. These reagents effectively act as noncovalent, or traceless, chiral auxiliaries. Lithium amides are an obvious choice for such reagents as they are known to form mixed aggregates with lithium enolates. We demonstrate here that mixed aggregates can effect highly enantioselective transformations of lithium enolates in several classes of reactions, most notably in transformations forming tetrasubstituted and quaternary carbon centers. Easy recovery of the chiral reagent by aqueous extraction is another practical advantage of this one-step protocol. Crystallographic, spectroscopic, and computational studies of the central reactive aggregate, which provide insight into the origins of selectivity, are also reported.

Cyclic imine toxins from dinoflagellates: a growing family of potent antagonists of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

We present an overview of the toxicological profile of the fast-acting, lipophilic macrocyclic imine toxins, an emerging family of organic compounds associated with algal blooms, shellfish contamination and neurotoxicity. Worldwide, shellfish contamination incidents are expanding; therefore, the significance of these toxins for the shellfish food industry deserves further study. Emphasis is directed to the dinoflagellate species involved in their production, their chemical structures, and their specific mode of interaction with their principal natural molecular targets, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or with the soluble acetylcholine-binding protein, used as a surrogate receptor model. The dinoflagellates Karenia selliformis and Alexandrium ostenfeldii / A. peruvianum have been implicated in the biosynthesis of gymnodimines and spirolides, while Vulcanodinium rugosum is the producer of pinnatoxins and portimine. The cyclic imine toxins are characterized by a macrocyclic skeleton comprising 14-27 carbon atoms, flanked by two conserved moieties, the cyclic imine and the spiroketal ring system. These phycotoxins generally display high affinity and broad specificity for the muscle type and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, a feature consistent with their binding site at the receptor subunit interfaces, composed of residues highly conserved among all nAChRs, and explaining the diverse toxicity among animal species. This is an article for the special issue XVth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms.

Direct Asymmetric Alkylation of Ketones: Still Unconquered.

The alkylation of ketones is taught at basic undergraduate level. In many cases this transformation leads to the formation of a new stereogenic center. However, the apparent simplicity of the transformation is belied by a number of problems. So much so, that a general method for the direct asymmetric alkylation of ketones remains an unmet target. Despite the advancement of organocatalysis and transition-metal catalysis, neither field has provided an adequate solution. Indeed, even use of an efficient and general stoichiometric chiral reagent has yet to be reported. Herein we describe the state-of-the-art in terms of direct alkylation reactions of some carbonyl groups. We outline the limited progress that has been made with ketones, and potential routes towards ultimately achieving a widely applicable methodology for the asymmetric alkylation of ketones.

Synthesis of Functionalized Dihydrobenzofurans by Direct Aryl C-O Bond Formation under Mild Conditions.

A method for the synthesis of dihydrobenzofurans by a direct aryl C-O bond formation is described. A mechanistic pathway for the reaction, distinct from previously described similar transformations, allows for mild reaction conditions that are expected to be compatible with functionalized substrates.

Mixed Aggregates of the Dilithiated Koga Tetraamine: NMR Spectroscopic and Computational Studies.

A combination of (1) H, (6) Li, (13) C, and (15) N NMR spectroscopies and density functional theory computations explores the formation of mixed aggregates by a dilithium salt of a C2 -symmetric chiral tetraamine (Koga's base). Lithium halides, acetylides, alkoxides, and monoalkylamides form isostructural trilithiated mixed aggregates with few exceptions. (6) Li-(13) C and (6) Li-(15) N couplings reveal heretofore undetected transannular contacts (laddering) with lithium acetylides and lithium monoalkylamides. Marked temperature-dependent (15) N chemical shifts seem to be associated with this laddering. Computational studies shed light on the general structures of the aggregates, their penchant for laddering, and the stereochemical consequences of aggregation.

Total synthesis and structural revision of (+)-muironolide a.

Muironolide A is a fascinating tetrachlorinated marine polyketide isolated from the sponge of Phorbas sp. Only 90 µg had been isolated, and the structure was established by nanoscale NMR techniques. Herein we report the total synthesis of the substance with the assigned structure of muironolide A, propose a revised structure based on NMR data, and complete the enantioselective total synthesis of muironolide A.

Direct enantioselective conjugate addition of carboxylic acids with chiral lithium amides as traceless auxiliaries.

Michael addition is a premier synthetic method for carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bond formation. Using chiral dilithium amides as traceless auxiliaries, we report the direct enantioselective Michael addition of carboxylic acids. A free carboxyl group in the product provides versatility for further functionalization, and the chiral reagent can be readily recovered by extraction with aqueous acid. The method has been applied in the enantioselective total synthesis of the purported structure of pulveraven B.