Anna M. Costa

Hybrids of macrolides and nucleobases or nucleosides

Abstract A few examples of hybrids/conjugates/chimeras of erythromycin A derivatives and nucleobases (uracil and thymine) or thymidine-derived nucleosides are reported. Linkers and reaction conditions have been investigated to avoid the degradation of the macrolide moiety (glycoside hydrolysis, ring cleavage, dehydration, etc.).

Iododesilylation of TIPS-, TBDPS-, and TBS-Substituted Alkenes in Connection with the Synthesis of Amphidinolides B/D

The C-Si bonds of triisopropylsilyl-substituted alkenes, 1,3-dienes, and related multifunctional substrates, as well as analogous C-TBDPS and C-TBS bonds, are readily and chemoselectively cleaved with NIS (or other sources of I(+), such as N-iodosaccharin, 1,3-diodohydantoin, and Ipy(2)BF(4)). The desired iodoalkenes are obtained stereospecifically without byproducts, provided that the reactions are carried out in CF(3)CHOHCF(3) and, in general, with 30 mol % of Ag(2)CO(3) (or AgOAc/2,6-lutidine) as an additive. Fragment C10-C18 of cytotoxic amphidinolides B1-B3 and D has been synthesized using this improved procedure.

Chemoselective protection of thiols versus alcohols and phenols. The Tosvinyl group

Abstract The conjugate addition of aliphatic and aromatic thiols to ethynyl p-tolyl sulphone (tosylacetylene) has been managed to afford Tosvinyl derivatives chemoselectively (in the presence of oxygen nucleophiles) and stereoselectively (isomers Z) in practically quantitative yields. The conditions of choice are: catalytic amounts of Et3N (only 0.5–1.0 mol%), a reaction temperature around 0°C and, for the less acidic thiols, CF3CH2OH or CH3CN/CF3CH2OH as the solvent. Thus, N-Boc-Cys-OMe has been quantitatively protected as its S-Tosvinyl derivative in the presence of N-Boc-Ser-OMe and N-Boc-Tyr-OMe. This novel protecting group is stable to several basic and acidic conditions; its removal is achieved at rt by treatment with an excess of pyrrolidine or at 0°C with alkanethiolate ions.

Synthesis of amphidinolide E C10-C26 fragment.

The key C10-C26 fragment in a total synthesis of (-)-amphidinolide E has been prepared from an oxolane-containing C10-C17 segment (9, derived from L-glutamic acid) via a Julia-Kocienski reaction with aldehyde 3, followed by a Sharpless AD to obtain the desired diol. The C22-C26 fragment was installed by means of an efficient Suzuki-Molander coupling, with an organotrifluoroborate reagent (4, arising from a cross-metathesis reaction between a vinylboronate and 2-methyl-1,4-pentadiene).

Uracil- and thymine-substituted thymidine and uridine derivatives

Abstract The four possible 3′-uracil-1-yl and 3′-thymin-1-yl derivatives of 3′-deoxythymidine and the four analogous derivatives of 2′-deoxyuridine have been synthesised from thymidine and uridine, respectively. Advantages of the 2-(methoxycarbonyl)vinyl group to prevent the formation of anhydronucleosides and of SnCl 2 /PhSH/Et 3 N in relation to H 2 /Pd for the reduction of most azido groups are disclosed.

The Performance of Several Docking Programs at Reproducing Protein–Macrolide-Like Crystal Structures

The accuracy of five docking programs at reproducing crystallographic structures of complexes of 8 macrolides and 12 related macrocyclic structures, all with their corresponding receptors, was evaluated. Self-docking calculations indicated excellent performance in all cases (mean RMSD values ≤ 1.0) and confirmed the speed of AutoDock Vina. Afterwards, the lowest-energy conformer of each molecule and all the conformers lying 0–10 kcal/mol above it (as given by Macrocycle, from MacroModel 10.0) were subjected to standard docking calculations. While each docking method has its own merits, the observed speed of the programs was as follows: Glide 6.6 > AutoDock Vina 1.1.2 > DOCK 6.5 >> AutoDock 4.2.6 > AutoDock 3.0.5. For most of the complexes, the five methods predicted quite correct poses of ligands at the binding sites, but the lower RMSD values for the poses of highest affinity were in the order: Glide 6.6 ≈ AutoDock Vina ≈ DOCK 6.5 > AutoDock 4.2.6 >> AutoDock 3.0.5. By choosing the poses closest to the crystal structure the order was: AutoDock Vina > Glide 6.6 ≈ DOCK 6.5 ≥ AutoDock 4.2.6 >> AutoDock 3.0.5. Re-scoring (AutoDock 4.2.6//AutoDock Vina, Amber Score and MM-GBSA) improved the agreement between the calculated and experimental data. For all intents and purposes, these three methods are equally reliable.

Nucleophile-Catalyzed Additions to Activated Triple Bonds. Protection of Lactams, Imides, and Nucleosides with MocVinyl and Related Groups

Additions of lactams, imides, (S)-4-benzyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-one, 2-pyridone, pyrimidine-2,4-diones (AZT derivatives), or inosines to the electron-deficient triple bonds of methyl propynoate, tert-butyl propynoate, 3-butyn-2-one, N-propynoylmorpholine, or N-methoxy-N-methylpropynamide in the presence of many potential catalysts were examined. DABCO and, second, DMAP appeared to be the best (highest reaction rates and E/Z ratios), while RuCl3, RuClCp*(PPh3)2, AuCl, AuCl(PPh3), CuI, and Cu2(OTf)2 were incapable of catalyzing such additions. The groups incorporated (for example, the 2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethenyl group that we name MocVinyl) serve as protecting groups for the above-mentioned heterocyclic CONH or CONHCO moieties. Deprotections were accomplished via exchange with good nucleophiles: the 1-dodecanethiolate anion turned out to be the most general and efficient reagent, but in some particular cases other nucleophiles also worked (e.g., MocVinyl-inosines can be cleaved with succinimide anion). Some structural and mechanistic details have been accounted for with the help of DFT and MP2 calculations.

Total Synthesis of Amphidinolide K, a Macrolide That Stabilizes F-Actin

The total synthesis of (-)-amphidinolide K (1) based on asymmetric addition of allylsilane C1-C8 to enal C9-C22 is reported. The 1,9,18-tris-O-TBDPS ether was converted into the desired 9,18-dihydroxy acid. Its macrolactonization was accomplished by the Shiina method. Compound 1 together with some of its stereoisomers and analogues were subjected to evaluation of the possible disruption of the α,β-tubulin-microtubule and/or G-actin-F-actin equilibria. Compound 1 behaves as a stabilizer of actin filaments (F-actin) in vitro.

Tosvinyl and besvinyl as protecting groups of imides, azinones, nucleosides, sultams, and lactams. Catalytic conjugate additions to tosylacetylene.

The use of the 2-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)ethenyl (tosvinyl, Tsv) group for the protection of the NH group of a series of imides, azinones (including AZT), inosines, and cyclic sulfonamides has been examined. The Tsv-protected derivatives are obtained in excellent yields by conjugate addition to tosylacetylene (ethynyl p-tolyl sulfone). The stereochemistry of the double bond can be controlled at will: with only 1 mol % of Et3N or with catalytic amounts of NaH, the Z stereoisomers are generated almost exclusively, while the E isomers are obtained using a stoichiometric amount of DMAP. Analogous phenylsulfonylvinyl-protected groups (with the besvinyl or Bsv group instead of Tsv) are obtained stereospecifically by reaction with (Z)- or (E)-bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethene. For lactams and oxazolidinones, this last method is much better. The Tsv and Bsv groups are stable in the presence of non-nucleophilic bases and to acids. They can be removed highly effectively via a conjugate addition-elimination mechanism using pyrrolidine or sodium dodecanethiolate as nucleophiles.

Acyclic nucleoside analogues from thymine-substituted thymidines and related compounds

Abstract Hydrolysis of 3′-deoxy-3′-(thymin-1-yl)thymidine, 3′-deoxy-3′-(uracil-1-yl)thymidine, and related furanoses with two nucleobases has been investigated. 3′-β-Substituted analogues, but not the 3′-α-substituted ones, afford isomeric pyranose nucleosides as intermediates, which have been isolated ( 6c and 6d ). Reduction of the hydrolysis products with sodium borohydride afford the corresponding acyclic compounds (2′-deoxy- d -ribitol or d -ribitol derivatives), which have been fully characterised as their peracetates.