Total Synthesis of RNA-Polymerase Inhibitor Ripostatin B and 15-Deoxyripostatin A

A Comparative Synthetic Strategy Perspective on α-Amino Acid- and Non-Amino Acid-Derived Synthons towards Total Syntheses of Selected Natural Macrolides

Macrocyclic alkaloids (macrolides) and cyclopeptides have an immense range of applications in drug discovery research because of their natural abundance and potential biological and physicochemical properties. Presently, more than 100 approved drugs or clinical drug candidates contain macrocyclic scaffolds as the biologically active component. This review provides an interesting perspective about the use of amino acid-derived chiral pools versus other methods derived from miscellaneous synthons towards the total synthesis of non-peptidic macrolides. The synthetic routes and the key strategies involved in the total syntheses of ten natural macrolides have been discussed. Both the amino acid-derived and non-amino acid-derived synthetic routes have been illustrated to present a comparative study between the two approaches.

Synthesis and evaluation of novel analogues of ripostatins

Ripostatins are polyene macrolactones isolated from the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum. They exhibit antibiotic activity by inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) through a binding site and mechanism that are different from those of current antibacterial drugs. Thus, the ripostatins serve as starting points for the development of new anti-infective agents with a novel mode of action. In this work, several derivatives of ripostatins were produced. 15-Desoxyripostatin A was synthesized by using a one-pot carboalumination/cross-coupling. 5,6-Dihydroripostatin A was constructed by utilizing an intramolecular Suzuki cross-coupling macrolactonization approach. 14,14'-Difluororipostatin A and both epimeric 14,14'-difluororipostatins B were synthesized by using a Reformatsky type aldol addition of a haloketone, Stille cross-coupling, and ring-closing metathesis. The RNAP-inhibitory and antibacterial activities are presented. Structure-activity relationships indicate that the monocyclic keto-ol form of ripostatin A is the active form of ripostatin A, that the ripostatin C5-C6 unsaturation is important for activity, and that C14 geminal difluorination of ripostatin B results in no loss of activity.