Fumitoshi Yagishita

Combinatorial generation of complexity by redox enzymes in the chaetoglobosin A biosynthesis.

Redox enzymes play a central role in generating structural complexity during natural product biosynthesis. In the postassembly tailoring steps, redox cascades can transform nascent chemical scaffolds into structurally complex final products. Chaetoglobosin A (1) is biosynthesized by a hybrid polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase. It belongs to the chaetoglobosin family of natural products, comprising many analogs having different degrees of oxidation introduced during their biosynthesis. We report here the determination of the complete biosynthetic steps leading to the formation of 1 from prochaetoglobosin I (2). Each oxidation step was elucidated using Chaetomium globosum strains carrying various combinations of deletion of the three redox enzymes, one FAD-dependent monooxygenase, and two cytochrome P450 oxygenases, and in vivo biotransformation of intermediates by heterologous expression of the three genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Five analogs were identified in this study as intermediates formed during oxidization of 2 to 1 by those redox enzymes. Furthermore, a stereochemical course of each oxidation step was clearly revealed with the absolute configurations of five intermediates determined from X-ray crystal structure. This approach allowed us to quickly determine the biosynthetic intermediates and the enzymes responsible for their formation. Moreover, by addressing the redox enzymes, we were able to discover that promiscuity of the redox enzymes allowed the formation of a network of pathways that results in a combinatorial formation of multiple intermediate compounds during the formation of 1 from 2. Our approach should expedite elucidation of pathways for other natural products biosynthesized by many uncharacterized enzymes of this fungus.

Total Spontaneous Resolution by Deracemization of Isoindolinones

Separated: 3-hydroxy-3-phenylisoindolin-1-ones have been resolved by dynamic preferential crystallization. The compounds were effectively racemized through ring-opening and ring-closing reactions via achiral intermediates under basic conditions. Crystallization from a toluene solution containing 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) with stirring and evaporation of the solvent gave optically active crystals quantitatively with high ee values.

Catalytic Enantioselective Amide Allylation of Isatins and Its Application in the Synthesis of 2-Oxindole Derivatives Spiro-Fused to the α-Methylene-γ-Butyrolactone Functionality

This article is a full account of the work exploring the potential utility of catalytic enantioselective amide allylation of various isatins using indium-based chiral catalysts. A survey of various isatin substrates and NH-containing stannylated reagents revealed that the reaction has a remarkably wide scope to result in extremely high yields and enantioselectivities (up to >99 %, 99 % ee) of variously substituted homoallylic alcohols. Several mechanistic investigations demonstrated that the substrate-reagent hydrogen-bond interaction plays a critical role in the formation of the key transition states to result in enhanced catalytic reaction. The success of this approach allowed convenient access to chiral 2-oxindoles spiro-fused to the α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone functionality and their halogenated derivatives in almost enantiopure forms, thus highlighting the general utility of this synthetic method to deliver a large variety of antineoplastic drug candidates and pharmaceutically meaningful compounds.

Construction of Spiro-Fused 2-Oxindole/α-Methylene- γ-Butyrolactone Systems with Extremely High Enantioselectivity via Indium-Catalyzed Amide Allylation of N-Methyl Isatin

A remarkably effective method allowing an extremely high enantioselective synthesis of the spiro-fused 2-oxindole/α-methylene-γ-butyrolactones is described. The key strategy lies in the use of indium-catalyzed asymmetric amide allylation of N-methyl isatin with functionalized allylstannanes, which can lead to the antineoplastic spirocyclic lactones in almost enantiopure forms.

Cytochrome P450 as Dimerization Catalyst in Diketopiperazine Alkaloid Biosynthesis

As dimeric natural products frequently exhibit useful biological activities, identifying and understanding their mechanisms of dimerization is of great interest. One such compound is (−)‐ditryptophenaline, isolated from Aspergillus flavus, which inhibits substance P receptor for potential analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activity. Through targeted gene knockout in A. flavus and heterologous yeast gene expression, we determined for the first time the gene cluster and pathway for the biosynthesis of a dimeric diketopiperazine alkaloid. We also determined that a single cytochrome P450, DtpC, is responsible not only for pyrroloindole ring formation but also for concurrent dimerization of N‐methylphenylalanyltryptophanyl diketopiperazine monomers into a homodimeric product. Furthermore, DtpC exhibits relaxed substrate specificity, allowing the formation of two new dimeric compounds from a non‐native monomeric precursor, brevianamide F. A radical‐mediated mechanism of dimerization is proposed.

Involvement of Lipocalin-like CghA in Decalin-Forming Stereoselective Intramolecular [4+2] Cycloaddition.

Understanding enzymatic Diels–Alder (DA) reactions that can form complex natural product scaffolds is of considerable interest. Sch 210972 1, a potential anti‐HIV fungal natural product, contains a decalin core that is proposed to form through a DA reaction. We identified the gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of 1 and heterologously reconstituted the biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus nidulans to characterize the enzymes involved. Most notably, deletion of cghA resulted in a loss of stereoselective decalin core formation, yielding both an endo (1) and a diastereomeric exo adduct of the proposed DA reaction. Complementation with cghA restored the sole formation of 1. Density functional theory computation of the proposed DA reaction provided a plausible explanation of the observed pattern of product formation. Based on our study, we propose that lipocalin‐like CghA is responsible for the stereoselective intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition that forms the decalin core of 1.

Exclusive Photodimerization Reactions of Chromone-2-carboxylic Esters Depending on Reaction Media

The irradiation of chromone-2-carboxylic esters resulted in the stereo- and regioselective formation of C(2) chiral anti-HH dimers from the triplet excited state. On the contrary, photolysis in the solid-state gave anti-HT dimers exclusively controlled by molecular arrangement in the crystal.

Two-Step Asymmetric Reaction Using the Frozen Chirality Generated by Spontaneous Crystallization

N,N-diallyl-4-methyl-1-propyl-2-quinolone-3-carboxamide afforded chiral crystals of a P2(1) crystal system by spontaneous crystallization. The molecular chirality in the crystal was retained after the crystals were dissolved in a solvent at a low temperature, and the frozen molecular chirality was effectively transferred to the products by a two-step reaction involving hydrogenation and intermolecular photocycloaddition reactions.

Asymmetric intramolecular cyclobutane formation via photochemical reaction of N,N-diallyl-2-quinolone-3-carboxamide using a chiral crystalline environment.

Crystal structures and photochemical reactions of three N,N-diallyl-2-quinolone-3-carboxamides were investigated. One quinolonecarboxamide afforded chiral crystals of a P2(1) crystal system by spontaneous crystallization, and the molecular chirality in the crystal was effectively transferred to cyclobutane in 96% ee by an intramolecular 2 + 2 photocycloaddition reaction in the solid state.

Novel chiral tetramic acid-derived diols: organocatalytic facile synthesis and unique structural properties

Organocatalytic tandem reactions of L-phenylalanine-derived tetramic acid with aldehydes allow a one-pot and high-yielding access to a diverse range of novel chiral diols in enantiomerically pure forms. In addition, a new entry of the diols, featuring their unique structures associated with C2- and pseudo C2-symmetric chiral motifs, is reported.