A platform for the discovery of new macrolide antibiotics.

The chemical modification of structurally complex fermentation products, a process known as semisynthesis, has been an important tool in the discovery and manufacture of antibiotics for the treatment of various infectious diseases. However, many of the therapeutics obtained in this way are no longer effective, because bacterial resistance to these compounds has developed. Here we present a practical, fully synthetic route to macrolide antibiotics by the convergent assembly of simple chemical building blocks, enabling the synthesis of diverse structures not accessible by traditional semisynthetic approaches. More than 300 new macrolide antibiotic candidates, as well as the clinical candidate solithromycin, have been synthesized using our convergent approach. Evaluation of these compounds against a panel of pathogenic bacteria revealed that the majority of these structures had antibiotic activity, some efficacious against strains resistant to macrolides in current use. The chemistry we describe here provides a platform for the discovery of new macrolide antibiotics and may also serve as the basis for their manufacture.

Evolution of a Unified Strategy for Complex Sesterterpenoids: Progress toward Astellatol and the Total Synthesis of (-)-Nitidasin.

Astellatol and nitidasin belong to a subset of sesterterpenoids that share a sterically encumbered trans-hydrindane motif with an isopropyl substituent. In addition, these natural products feature intriguing polycyclic ring systems, posing significant challenges for chemical synthesis. Herein, the evolution of our stereoselective strategy for isopropyl trans-hydrindane sesterterpenoids is detailed. These endeavors included the synthesis of several building blocks, enabling studies toward all molecules of this terpenoid subclass, and of advanced intermediates of our initial route toward a biomimetic synthesis of astellatol. These findings provided the basis for a second-generation and a third-generation approach toward astellatol that eventually culminated in the enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-nitidasin. In particular, a series of substrate-controlled transformations to install the ten stereogenic centers of the target molecule was orchestrated and the carbocyclic backbone was forged in a convergent fashion. Furthermore, the progress toward the synthesis of astellatol is disclosed and insights into some observed yet unexpected diastereoselectivities by detailed quantum-mechanical calculations are provided.

The total synthesis of (-)-nitidasin.

Nitidasin is a pentacyclic sesterterpenoid with a rare 5-8-6-5 carbon skeleton that was isolated from the Peruvian folk medicine "Hercampuri". It belongs to a small class of sesterterpenoids that feature an isopropyl trans-hydrindane moiety fused to a variety of other ring systems. As a first installment of our general approach toward these natural products, we report the total synthesis of the title compound. Our stereoselective, convergent route involves the addition of a complex alkenyl lithium compound to a trans-hydrindanone, followed by chemoselective epoxidation, ring-closing olefin metathesis, and redox adjustment.

Synthetic approaches toward sesterterpenoids.

Sesterterpenoids account for many bioactive natural products, often with unusual and complex structural features, which makes them attractive targets for synthetic chemists. This review surveys efforts undertaken toward the synthesis of sesterterpenoids, focusing on completed total syntheses and covering ca. 50 natural products in total.

A unified approach to trans-hydrindane sesterterpenoids.

A synthetic approach to several sesterterpenoids containing an isopropyl trans-hydrindane system is presented. Its most remarkable feature is the stereochemical diversification of a common precursor through the choice of different hydrogenation conditions.