Studies toward the total synthesis of Cytospolide E

The Role of Total Synthesis in Structure Revision and Elucidation of Decanolides (Nonanolides)

Ten-membered lactones are commonly observed structures of natural products. They are mostly fungal metabolites, which often act as plant pathogens, but recently ten-membered lactones were identified as pheromones of frogs and termites. Although modern spectroscopic methods are nowadays routinely used to elucidate the structure of natural products, structural assignments of ten-membered lactones often remain incomplete or are surprisingly often erroneous. Most errors concern the absolute configuration. The examples discussed in this chapter demonstrate that enantioselective total synthesis is not only an efficient tool for corroborating or revising a proposed structure, but that the synthesis of different stereoisomers as references for gas chromatographic investigations can be a vital part of the structure elucidation process if only minute amounts of material are available. As a method of outstanding importance for the synthesis of ten-membered lactones olefin metathesis has emerged. Most of the examples discussed herein use one or more olefin metathesis reactions as key steps.

Synthesis of Cytospolide Analogues and Late-State Diversification Thereof

The cytospolides are a novel group of fungal secondary metabolites first described in 2011. Although all 17 natural derivatives share the same C-14 polyketide backbone, they exhibit a fairly broad structural diversity regarding their oxygenation and acetylation pattern as well as macrolide structure, e.g., monocyclic nonanolide core or bicyclic ring systems with a bridging THF ring. In the present work, the prospects for an extension of the structural diversity of cytospolides have been investigated. On the basis of a previously established synthesis of cytospolide D, a modified route to a truncated analogue carrying an alkyne instead of the natural n-pentyl side chain has been developed. In a bioinspired approach the so-derived cytospolide D alkyne analogue has been further converted to bicyclic and THF ring containing derivatives with a different backbone architecture. Finally, Sonogashira couplings or Huisgen-Sharpless click reactions have been used for late-stage diversifications. Thus, a set of 15 novel and structurally diverse natural product derivatives has been synthesized in a highly efficient manner.

Total Synthesis of Cytospolide Q

A flexible and convergent strategy for the stereoselective total synthesis of bioactive marine natural product cytospolide Q has been developed. The key features of this synthesis include Evans anti-aldol reaction for the installation of C-2 and C-3 stereocenters and cycloetherification via epoxide opening followed by concomitant lactonization for the construction of tetrahydrofuran and γ-butyrolactone scaffolds. This synthetic study also revealed that protected oxygenated functionality (methyl ester or benzyl ether) at C-1 position participated readily in epoxide opening.

Studies Directed toward the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cytospolide E

Our exhaustive effort toward the total synthesis of cytotoxic marine nonanolide cytospolide E has been detailed. To achieve this synthesis, we have explored both the ring-closing metathesis and lactonization-based macrocyclization strategies using a variety of precursors. Unfortunately, none of them provided the desired product. The ring-closing metathesis approach provided mainly the macrocycle with Z-olefin, whereas the macrolactonization strategy culminated in 8-epi-9-epi-cytospolide E following the regioselective formation of a 10-membered macrocycle over a 9-membered macrocycle.

Total Synthesis of Cytospolide D and Its Biomimetic Conversion to Cytospolides M, O, and Q

A total synthesis of cytospolide D, starting from l-glutamic acid, is described. The critical macrolactonization to the 10-membered lactone containing an (E)-configured double bond was successfully achieved by Shiina esterification. Conversion of cytospolide D to its bicyclic derivatives M, O, and Q was accomplished under mild conditions, lending support to the proposed biosynthetic hypothesis.