J. Ignacio Delso

Sequential nucleophilic addition/intramolecular cycloaddition to chiral nonracemic cyclic nitrones: a highly stereoselective approach to polyhydroxynortropane alkaloids.

Two new polyhydroxylated nortropane analogues closely related with Calystegines have been prepared in excellent chemical yields and complete selectivity. A synthetic strategy based on consecutive nucleophilic allylation, oxidation, and intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition was developed. The formation of key intermediate cycloadducts were observed to take place through the recently confirmed thermally induced 2-aza-Cope rearrangement of nitrones.

Furan oxidations in Organic Synthesis: Recent advances and applications.

Oxidation reactions of several furan derivatives as effective methods for the preparation of key synthetic inter- mediates are reviewed. Depending on the oxidizing reagent the furan ring can be considered as a C-1 or C-4 synthon, which upon different conditions leads to 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids, pyranones or butenolides.

Tunable Diastereoselection of Biased Rigid Systems by Lewis Acid Induced Conformational Effects: A Rationalization of the Vinylation of Cyclic Nitrones En Route to Polyhydroxylated Pyrrolidines

The diastereofacial selection in addition reactions to biased rigid systems can be modulated by the action of Lewis acids. As an example, the stereoselectivity of the nucleophilic addition of vinyl magnesium bromide (VMB) to cyclic nitrones in the presence of diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC) shows a strong dependence on the temperature and the carbon substituent adjacent at the reaction center; it is remarkable that whereas a high selectivity is obtained at higher temperatures, in the presence of DEAC, a trend to invert the stereochemical course of the reaction is observed at lower temperatures, provided the substituent at C3 of the pyrrolidine ring allows delivery of the vinyl moiety. This behavior and difference in selectivity is to be attributed to the high conformational barriers of the intermediate nitrone-DEAC-VMB complex. A clear inversion of the selectivity is observed at -78 degrees C for the reaction of the nitrone protected as an O-methyl derivative. The present study provides a rationalization for the stereocontrolled addition of nucleophiles to rigid systems (cyclic nitrones).

Computational Mechanistic Study of Thionation of Carbonyl Compounds with Lawesson’s Reagent

The thionation reaction of carbonyl compounds with Lawessons reagent (LR) has been studied using density functional theory methods and topological analyses. After dissociation of LR, the reaction takes place through a two-step mechanism involving (i) a concerted cycloaddition between one monomer and the carbonyl compound to form a four-membered intermediate and (ii) a cycloreversion leading to the thiocarbonyl derivative and phenyl(thioxo)phosphine oxide. Topological analyses confirmed the concertedness and asynchronicity of the process. The second step is the rate-limiting one, and the whole process resembles the currently accepted mechanism for the lithium salt-free Wittig reaction. No zwitterionic intermediates are formed during the reaction, although stabilizing electrostatic interactions are present in initial stages. Phenyl(thioxo)phosphine oxide formed in the thionation reaction is capable of performing a second thionation, although with energy barriers higher than the first one. The driving force of the thionation reactions is the formation of trimers from the resulting monomers. In agreement with experimental observations, the amides are the most reactive when compared with esters, aldehydes, and ketones and the reaction is slightly influenced by the polarity of the solvent. Whereas for amides and esters substituents have little effect, aldehydes and ketones are influenced by both steric and electronic effects.

Glycomimetics Targeting Glycosyltransferases: Synthetic, Computational and Structural Studies of Less‐Polar Conjugates

The Leloir donors are nucleotide sugars essential for a variety of glycosyltransferases (GTs) involved in the transfer of a carbohydrate to an acceptor substrate, typically a protein or an oligosaccharide. A series of less-polar nucleotide sugar analogues derived from uridine have been prepared by replacing one phosphate unit with an alkyl chain. The methodology is based on the radical hydrophosphonylation of alkenes, which allows coupling of allyl glycosyl compounds with a phosphate unit suitable for conjugation to uridine. Two of these compounds, the GalNAc and galactose derivatives, were further tested on a model GT, such as GalNAc-T2 (an important GT widely distributed in human tissues), to probe that both compounds bound in the medium-high micromolar range. The crystal structure of GalNAc-T2 with the galactose derivative traps the enzyme in an inactive form; this suggests that compounds only containing the β-phosphate could be efficient ligands for the enzyme. Computational studies with GalNAc-T2 corroborate these findings and provide further insights into the mechanism of the catalytic cycle of this family of enzymes.

Azomethine Ylides from Nitrones: Using Catalytic nBuLi for the Totally Stereoselective Synthesis of trans-2-Alkyl-3-oxazolines

The cycloaddition of azomethine ylide N-oxides (nitrone ylides) with aldehydes provides 3-oxazolines in a completely stereoselective manner in the presence of a catalytic amount of n-butyllithium. The process involves an initial nucleophilic attack on the aldehyde, followed by intramolecular oxygen addition to the nitrone moiety and lithium-assisted elimination of water, regenerating the catalytic species. Various Li-based catalytic systems are possible and the in situ generated water is required for continuing the catalytic cycle. The best results are observed with 20 mol % of n-butyllithium, whereas the use of stoichiometric amounts inhibit the rate of catalysis. Experimental, spectroscopic, and computational mechanistic studies have provided evidence of lithium-ion catalysis and rationalized several competing catalytic pathways.

Recent Advances on the Enantioselective Synthesis of C-Nucleosides Inhibitors of Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase (IMPDH)

This review will describe the recent advances in the synthesis of C-nucleosides with inhibitory activity of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of guanine nucleotides. The review will cover synthetic approaches of structural analogues showing modifications in the furanose ring as well as in the heterocyclic base. Heterocyclic sugar nucleoside analogues in which the furanose ring has been replaced by a different heterocyclic ring including aza analogues, thioanalogues as well as dioxolanyl and isoxazolidinyl analogues are also considered.

Recent advances in the preparation of enantiomerically pure hydroxylamines from nitrones

We thank for their support of our programs: MINECO (Madrid, Spain) and FEDER Program (Project CTQ2013-44367-C2-1-P) and the Government of Aragon (Group E-10). H.H. thanks UE (Erasmus program) for a mobility grant. M.G. thanks MECD for a FPU pre-doctoral grant.

Synthesis of O- and C-glycosides derived from β-(1,3)-d-glucans

A series of β-(1,3)-d-glucans have been synthesized incorporating structural variations specifically on the reducing end of the oligomers. Both O- and C-glucosides derived from di- and trisaccharides have been obtained in good overall yields and with complete selectivity. Whereas the O-glycosides were obtained via a classical Koenigs-Knorr glycosylation, the corresponding C-glycosides were obtained through allylation of the anomeric carbon and further cross-metathesis reaction. Finally, the compounds were evaluated against two glycosidases and two endo-glucanases and no inhibitory activity was observed.

The small molecule luteolin inhibits N-acetyl-α-galactosaminyltransferases and reduces mucin-type O-glycosylation of amyloid precursor protein

Mucin-type O-glycosylation is the most abundant type of O-glycosylation. It is initiated by the members of the polypeptide N-acetyl-α-galactosaminyltransferase (ppGalNAc-T) family and closely associated with both physiological and pathological conditions, such as coronary artery disease or Alzheimers disease. The lack of direct and selective inhibitors of ppGalNAc-Ts has largely impeded research progress in understanding the molecular events in mucin-type O-glycosylation. Here, we report that a small molecule, the plant flavonoid luteolin, selectively inhibits ppGalNAc-Ts in vitro and in cells. We found that luteolin inhibits ppGalNAc-T2 in a peptide/protein-competitive manner but not promiscuously (e.g. via aggregation-based activity). X-ray structural analysis revealed that luteolin binds to the PXP motif–binding site found in most protein substrates, which was further validated by comparing the interactions of luteolin with wild-type enzyme and with mutants using 1H NMR–based binding experiments. Functional studies disclosed that luteolin at least partially reduced production of β-amyloid protein by selectively inhibiting the activity of ppGalNAc-T isoforms. In conclusion, our study provides key structural and functional details on luteolin inhibiting ppGalNAc-T activity, opening up the way for further optimization of more potent and specific ppGalNAc-T inhibitors. Moreover, our findings may inform future investigations into site-specific O-GalNAc glycosylation and into the molecular mechanism of luteolin-mediated ppGalNAc-T inhibition.