Antonio J. Macías-Sánchez

The cleavage of caryophyllene oxide catalysed by tetracyanoethylene

Abstract The cleavage of caryophyllene oxide under novel, mild and clean conditions, using tetracyanoethylene as a catalyst, is described. Alcoholysis leads to clovenol-2-ether derivatives as major products. When dipolar aprotic solvents were used, rearrangement products were not formed and compounds from elimination reaction were obtained. The ratio of cyclization to elimination products reflects the extent to which the partially delocalized carbocation may be stabilized by the nucleophilic solvent.

SYNTHESIS AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ANALOGUES OF NATURALLY OCCURRING BOTRYDIAL PRECURSORS

Analog compounds of the proposed intermediates of the biogenetic pathway to botrydial have been synthesized. These compounds were tested for their potential antifungal activity against the phytopathogenBotrytis cinerea. Our results showed a fungistatic effect of some compounds on mycelium growth. The most significant effect was exerted by 2-α-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-1-epiprobotrydial, which inhibited growth ofB. cinerea. Some aspects of structure-activity relationships are discussed.

STEREOCHEMISTRY OF A REARRANGEMENT OF B AND C RINGS IN CLOVANE SKELETON

Abstract The isocaryolane structure 6 has been assigned to a minor product of the TCNE-catalysed cyclization of caryophyllene 4α,5β-oxide (3). A Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of rings B and C of the clovane skeleton (1) has been explored by deuterium labelling of 9α-bromo-2β-methoxyclovane (4a).

Chemically Induced Cryptic Sesquiterpenoids and Expression of Sesquiterpene Cyclases in Botrytis cinerea Revealed New Sporogenic (+)-4-Epieremophil-9-en-11-ols

The sequencing of the genomes of the B05.10 and T4 strains of the fungus Botrytis cinerea revealed an abundance of novel biosynthetic gene clusters, the majority of which were unexpected on the basis of the previous analyses of the fermentation of these and closely related species. By systematic alteration of easy accessible cultivation parameters, using chemical induction with copper sulfate, we have found a cryptic sesquiterpenoid family with new structures related to eremophil-9-ene, which had the basic structure of the sesquiterpene (+)-5-epiaristolochene ((+)-4-epieremophil-9-ene). An expression study of the sesquiterpene cyclase genes present in the Botrytis cinerea genome, under culture conditions, is reported. In general, a 3 day delay and a higher BcSTC genes expression were observed when copper (5 ppm) was fed to the fermentation broth. In addition, to the observed effect on the BcBOT2 (BcSTC1) gene, involved in the biosynthesis of the botrydial toxin, a higher expression level for BcSTC3 and BcSTC4 was observed with respect to the control in the strain B05.10. Interestingly, under copper conditions, the BcSTC4 gene was the most expressed gene in the Botrytis cinerea UCA992 strain. In vitro evaluation of the biological role of these metabolites indicates that they contributed to the conidial development in B. cinerea and appear to be involved in self-regulation of the production of asexual spores. Furthermore, they promoted the formation of complex appressoria or infection cushions.

Exploring mutasynthesis to increase structural diversity in the synthesis of highly oxygenated polyketide lactones

The enantioselective synthesis of (2R,3R,4E,8E)-3-hydroxy-2,4,8-trimethyldeca-4,8-dienolide (5) by ring-closing metathesis is described. This compound is an analogue of 3,4-dihydroxy-2,4,6,8-tetramethyldec-8-enolide (4) which is a rare 11-membered lactone produced by the fungus, Botrytis cinerea. Mutasynthetic studies with compound 5 using two mutants of B. cinerea led to the isolation of four new highly oxygenated 11-membered lactones (11-14) in which compound 5 has been stereoselectively epoxidized and hydroxylated at sites that were not easily accessible by classical synthetic chemistry.

Biotransformation of Bioactive Isocaryolanes by Botrytis cinerea

The metabolism of the fungistatic agent (8R,9R)-8-methoxyisocaryolan-9-ol (4) by the fungus Botrytis cinerea has been investigated. Biotransformation of compound 4 yielded compounds 5 and 6-9. No dihydrobotrydial is observed after 4 days of incubation of compound 4. Separate biotransformation of (8R,9R)-isocaryolane-8,9-diol (5) yielded compounds 7-11. The evaluation of the fungistatic activity against B. cinerea of compounds 4, 5, and 6 is reported. (4R,8R,9R)-8-Methoxyisocaryolane-9,15-diol (6), a major metabolite of (8R,9R)-8-methoxyisocaryolan-9-ol (4), shows a much reduced biological activity when compared with the parent compound. Isocaryolane derivatives 6-11 are described for the first time.

Two novel steroids from Euphorbia officinarum latex.

Two novel steroids, 3β,7α-dihydroxy-4α,14α-dimethyl-5α-cholest-8-en-11-one (2) and 3β,7β-dihydroxy-4α,14α-dimethyl-5α-cholest-8-en-11-one (3) were isolated from the latex of Euphorbia officinarum. Their structures were established on the basis of NMR and MS studies.

NOVEL METHOXYL AND HYDROXYL DIRECTED PINACOL REARRANGEMENTS OF AN ISOCARYOLANE SESQUITERPENOID UNDER MITSUNOBU CONDITIONS

Treatment of 8-methoxy-isocaryolan-9α-ol ( 1 ) with acid on the one hand and with diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD)/ triphenylphosphine on the other, leads to different pinacol rearrangements of the isocaryolane skeleton. 1 S ,2 S ,5 R ,9 R -8-oxo-1,4,4-trimethyltricyclo[7.2.1.0 2,5 ]dodecane ( 2 ), which possesses a novel sesquiterpenoid skeleton, was obtained under Mitsunobu conditions.

12-Deoxyphorbols Promote Adult Neurogenesis by Inducing Neural Progenitor Cell Proliferation via PKC Activation.

Background: Neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders frequently occur after brain insults associated with neuronal loss. Strategies aimed to facilitate neuronal renewal by promoting neurogenesis constitute a promising therapeutic option to treat neuronal death-associated disorders. In the adult brain, generation of new neurons occurs physiologically throughout the entire life controlled by extracellular molecules coupled to intracellular signaling cascades. Proteins participating in these cascades within neurogenic regions constitute potential pharmacological targets to promote neuronal regeneration of injured areas of the central nervous system. Methodology: We have performed in vitro and in vivo approaches to determine neural progenitor cell proliferation to understand whether activation of kinases of the protein kinase C family facilitates neurogenesis in the adult brain. Results: We have demonstrated that protein kinase C activation by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate induces neural progenitor cell proliferation in vitro. We also show that the nontumorogenic protein kinase C activator prostratin exerts a proliferative effect on neural progenitor cells in vitro. This effect can be reverted by addition of the protein kinase C inhibitor G06850, demonstrating that the effect of prostratin is mediated by protein kinase C activation. Additionally, we show that prostratin treatment in vivo induces proliferation of neural progenitor cells within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone. Finally, we describe a library of diterpenes with a 12-deoxyphorbol structure similar to that of prostratin that induces a stronger effect than prostratin on neural progenitor cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: This work suggests that protein kinase C activation is a promising strategy to expand the endogenous neural progenitor cell population to promote neurogenesis and highlights the potential of 12-deoxyphorbols as pharmaceutical agents to facilitate neuronal renewal.

Biotransformation of clovane derivatives. Whole cell fungi mediated domino synthesis of rumphellclovane A

Here we describe the biotransformation of clovane derivatives by filamentary fungi Pestalotiopsis palustris and Penicillium minioluteum, and the application of the latter to the synthesis and determination of the absolute configuration of rumphellclovane A (2). Methoxyclovanol (1), a growth inhibitor of the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea, is metabolised by P. palustris to yield rumphellclovane A (2), a natural compound recently isolated from the gorgonian coral Rumphella antipathies, two new compounds, (1R,2S,5S,8R,9S,10R)-2-methoxyclovane-9,10-diol (5) and (1S,2S,5S,7R,8R,9R)-2-methoxyclovane-7,9-diol (6), hydroxylated in positions not easily accessed by classic synthetic chemistry, and clovanodiols 3 and 4. P. minioluteum is able to selectively transform methoxyclovanol (1) into clovanodiols 3 and 4 and, in turn, lactone 8, the putative intermediate in the above mentioned synthesis of rumphellclovane A (2), into compound 2 via a domino process. The ability of P. minioluteum to carry out the cleavage of ethers on clovane derivatives is also evaluated.