Total synthesis of gambierol

Convergent Synthesis of the ent-ZA'B'C'D'-Ring System of Maitotoxin

Stereoselective synthesis of the ent-ZA'B'C'D'-ring system of maitotoxin has been accomplished through a convergent strategy utilizing Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction of ZA'-ring alkylborane and C'D'-ring (Z)-vinyl iodide, and subsequent construction of the B'-ring by reduction of the O,S-acetal.

Total synthesis and complete structural assignment of gambieric acid A, a large polycyclic ether marine natural product

More than thirty years after the discovery of polycyclic ether marine natural products, they continue to receive intense attention from the chemical, biological, and pharmacological communities because of their potent biological activities and highly complex molecular architectures. Gambieric acids are intriguing polycyclic ethers that exhibit potent antifungal activity with minimal toxicity against mammals. Despite the recent advances in the synthesis of this class of natural products, gambieric acids remain unconquered due to their daunting structural complexity, which poses a formidable synthetic challenge to organic chemists. This paper reviews our long-term studies on the total synthesis, complete configurational reassignment, and structure-activity relationships of gambieric acid A over the last decade.

A New Variant of Fused Cyclic Ether Synthesis Based on Ireland-Claisen Rearrangement and RCM

A new variant of fused cyclic ether synthesis based on Ireland-Claisen rearrangement and ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) was developed. The Ireland-Claisen rearrangement and ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) was developed. The Ireland-Claisen rearrangement of a ( Z)-3-alkoxyprop-2-en-1-yl glycolate ester having a cyclic ether on the oxygen at C3 of the ( Z)-prop-2-en-1-yl group stereoselectively produced an anti-α,β-dialkoxyester which was successfully transformed to a fused bicyclic ether via a reaction sequence including RCM.

Design and synthesis of skeletal analogues of gambierol: attenuation of amyloid-β and tau pathology with voltage-gated potassium channel and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor implications

Gambierol is a potent neurotoxin that belongs to the family of marine polycyclic ether natural products and primarily targets voltage-gated potassium channels (K(v) channels) in excitable membranes. Previous work in the chemistry of marine polycyclic ethers has suggested the critical importance of the full length of polycyclic ether skeleton for potent biological activity. Although we have previously investigated structure-activity relationships (SARs) of the peripheral functionalities of gambierol, it remained unclear whether the whole polycyclic ether skeleton is needed for its cellular activity. In this work, we designed and synthesized two truncated skeletal analogues of gambierol comprising the EFGH- and BCDEFGH-rings of the parent compound, both of which surprisingly showed similar potency to gambierol on voltage-gated potassium channels (K(v)) inhibition. Moreover, we examined the effect of these compounds in an in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) obtained from triple transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice, which expresses amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation and tau hyperphosphorylation. In vitro preincubation of the cells with the compounds resulted in significant inhibition of K(+) currents, a reduction in the extra- and intracellular levels of Aβ, and a decrease in the levels of hyperphosphorylated tau. In addition, pretreatment with these compounds reduced the steady-state level of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2A without affecting the 2B subunit. The involvement of glutamate receptors was further suggested by the blockage of the effect of gambierol on tau hyperphosphorylation by glutamate receptor antagonists. The present study constitutes the first discovery of skeletally simplified, designed polycyclic ethers with potent cellular activity and demonstrates the utility of gambierol and its synthetic analogues as chemical probes for understanding the function of K(v) channels as well as the molecular mechanism of Aβ metabolism modulated by NMDA receptors.

Maitotoxin: An Inspiration for Synthesis

Maitotoxin holds a special place in the annals of natural products chemistry as the largest and most toxic secondary metabolite known to date. Its fascinating, ladder-like, polyether molecular structure and diverse spectrum of biological activities elicited keen interest from chemists and biologists who recognized its uniqueness and potential as a probe and inspiration for research in chemistry and biology. Synthetic studies in the area benefited from methodologies and strategies that were developed as part of chemical synthesis programs directed toward the total synthesis of some of the less complex members of the polyether marine biotoxin class, of which maitotoxin is the flagship. This account focuses on progress made in the authors' laboratories in the synthesis of large maitotoxin domains with emphasis on methodology development, strategy design, and structural comparisons of the synthesized molecules with the corresponding regions of the natural product. The article concludes with an overview of maitotoxin's biological profile and future perspectives.

SmI2-induced cyclizations and their applications in natural product synthesis

Since the isolation of brevetoxin-B, a red tide toxin, many bioactive marine natural products featuring synthetically challenging trans-fused polycyclic ether ring systems have been reported. We have developed SmI(2)-induced cyclization of beta-alkoxyacrylate with aldehyde, affording 2,6-syn-2,3-trans-tetrahydropyran (THP) or 2,7-syn-2,3-trans-oxepane with complete stereoselection, as a key reaction of efficient iterative and bi-directional strategies for the construction of these polycyclic ethers. This reaction is also applicable to the synthesis of 3-, 5-, and 6-methyl-THPs and 3,5-dimethyl-THP. The synthesis of 2-methyl- and 2,6-dimethyl-THPs was accomplished by means of a unique methyl insertion. Recently, the SmI(2)-induced cyclization was extended to similar reactions using beta-alkoxyvinyl sulfone and sulfoxide. Reaction of (E)- and (Z)-beta-alkoxyvinyl sulfone-aldehyde afforded 2,6-syn-2,3-trans- and 2,6-syn-2,3-cis- THPs, respectively. Reaction of (E)-beta-alkoxyvinyl (R)- and (S)-sulfoxides gave 2,6-anti-2,3-cis- and 2,6-syn-2,3-trans-THPs, respectively. Reaction of (Z)-beta-alkoxyvinyl (R)-sulfoxides gave 2,6-syn-2,3-cis-THP and an olefinic product, while that of (Z)-beta-alkoxyvinyl (S)-sulfoxide afforded a mixture of many products. These SmI(2)-induced cyclizations have been applied to the total syntheses of various natural products, including brevetoxin-B, mucocin, pyranicin, and pyragonicin. Synthetic studies on gambierol and maitotoxin are also introduced.

Synthesis of marine polycyclic polyethers via endo-selective epoxide-opening cascades

The proposed biosynthetic pathways to ladder polyethers of polyketide origin and oxasqualenoids of terpenoid origin share a dramatic epoxide-opening cascade as a key step. Polycyclic structures generated in these biosynthetic pathways display biological effects ranging from potentially therapeutic properties to extreme lethality. Much of the structural complexity of ladder polyether and oxasqualenoid natural products can be traced to these hypothesized cascades. In this review we summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of ladder polyethers and oxasqualenoid natural products.

Total synthesis of gambierol

The total synthesis of gambierol has been achieved utilizing an oxiranyl anion strategy in an iterative manner. Synthetic highlights of this route include direct carbon-carbon formation on epoxides, sulfonyl-assisted 6-endo cyclization, and expansion reaction of tetrahydropyranyl rings to oxepanes to forge the polycyclic architecture of the target molecule.

Total synthesis of ciguatoxin

Something fishy: Ciguatoxin (see structure) is one of the principal toxins involved in ciguatera poisoning and the target of a total synthesis involving the coupling of three segments. The key transformations in this synthesis feature acetylene-dicobalthexacarbonyl complexation.

Inspirations, discoveries, and future perspectives in total synthesis

The last one hundred years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the power and reach of total synthesis. The pantheon of accomplishments in the field includes the total synthesis of molecules of unimaginable beauty and diversity such as the four discussed in this article: endiandric acids (1982), calicheamicin gamma(1)(I) (1992), Taxol (1994), and brevetoxin B (1995). Chosen from the collection of the molecules synthesized in the author's laboratories, these structures are but a small fraction of the myriad constructed in laboratories around the world over the last century. Their stories, and the background on which they were based, should serve to trace the evolution of the art of chemical synthesis to its present sharp condition, an emergence that occurred as a result of new theories and mechanistic insights, new reactions, new reagents and catalysts, and new synthetic technologies and strategies. Indeed, the advent of chemical synthesis as a whole must be considered as one of the most influential developments of the twentieth century in terms of its impact on society.

Epoxide-opening cascades in the synthesis of polycyclic polyether natural products

The structural features of polycyclic polyether natural products can, in some cases, be traced to their biosynthetic origin. However in case that are less well understood, only biosynthetic pathways that feature dramatic, yet speculative, epoxide-opening cascades are proposed. We summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of polycyclic polyethers (see scheme) and related natural products.The group of polycyclic polyether natural products is of special interest owing to the fascinating structure and biological effects displayed by its members. The latter includes potentially therapeutic antibiotic, antifungal, and anticancer properties, and extreme lethality. The polycyclic structural features of this class of compounds can, in some cases, be traced to their biosynthetic origin, but in others that are less well understood, only to proposed biosynthetic pathways that feature dramatic, yet speculative, epoxide-opening cascades. In this review we summarize how such epoxide-opening cascade reactions have been used in the synthesis of polycyclic polyethers and related natural products.

Convergent strategies for the total synthesis of polycyclic ether marine metabolites

Marine polycyclic ether natural products continue to fascinate chemists and biologists due to their exceptionally large and complex molecular architectures and potent and diverse biological activities. Tremendous progress has been made over the past decade toward the total synthesis of marine polycyclic ether natural products. In this area, a convergent strategy for assembling small fragments into an entire molecule always plays a key role in successful total synthesis. This review describes our efforts to develop convergent strategies for the synthesis of polycyclic ethers and their application to the total synthesis of gambierol, gymnocin-A, and brevenal, and to the partial synthesis of the central part of ciguatoxins and the nonacyclic polyether skeleton of gambieric acids.