Enantioselective total synthesis of the marine toxin (-)-gymnodimine employing a barbier-type macrocyclization

Full text of DOI:10.1002/anie.200903432

Communications
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200903432
Natural Product Synthesis
Enantioselective Total Synthesis of the Marine Toxin
(À)-Gymnodimine Employing a Barbier-Type Macrocyclization**
Ke Kong, Daniel Romo,* and Changsuk Lee
In memory of John L. Hogg
Gymnodimine (1, Scheme 1) is a member of the spirocyclic-
imine family of marine toxins initially isolated from oysters
collected off the coast of New Zealand. The gross structure
elusive.[14] The seemingly simpler architecture of gymnodi-
mine relative to that of other members of this family conceals
subtle, challenging structural elements, in particular the
known labile butenolide, which adds to the challenge of a
total synthesis.[15] Herein, we describe the first total synthesis
of (À)-gymnodimine, which provides suitable intermediates
for eventual production of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) for gymnodimine detection and also for
further mode-of-action studies.[16]
Our synthetic plan called for the convergent coupling of
spirolactam 5 with a hypothetical, dual-reactivity tetrahydro-
furan, 4 (Scheme 2). A Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi (NHK) macro-
Scheme 1. Structures of known members of the gymnodimine family
of spirocyclic-imine marine toxins.
was initially reported by Yasumoto and co-workers in 1995,[1]
and subsequently, Munro, Blunt and co-workers reported the
relative and absolute stereochemistry, which was elucidated
through X-ray crystallographic analysis of a reduced, N-
acylated derivative.[2] This toxin is produced by the dinofla-
gellate Karenia selliforms (formerly Gymnodinium selli-
forme) and is active in the mouse bioassay for neurotoxic
shellfish poisoning.[3] Recently, gymnodimine was found to
sensitize neurons to the effects of okadaic acid,[4] and there is
evidence that it binds to a subset of muscle nicotinic
acetylcholine receptors.[5] Two additional analogues, differing
only by an allylic oxidation at the C17–C18 olefin, were
isolated and named gymnodimine B (2) and C (3), respec-
tively.[6] Other members of this growing family of spirocyclic-
imine toxins include the pinnatoxins,[7] spirolides,[8] pteriatox-
ins,[9] prorocentrolide,[10] and spiro-prorocentrimine.[11]
Scheme 2. Retrosynthetic strategy toward gymnodimine (1) showing
the principal disconnections. M: metal.
cyclization[17] was initially envisioned for the proposed merg-
ing at the C9 and C10 atoms (gymnodimine numbering), but
our studies ultimately led to a Barbier-type macrocyclization.
À
The proposed formation of the C20 C21 bond through
nucleophilic opening of a d lactam by an sp3 carbanion is
rare, especially in this complex setting, and is seen even less
frequently in a macrocyclization.[18] The fragile butenolide
would be coupled at a late stage by a vinylogous Mukaiyama
aldol reaction of a hypothetical furanone anion 6 to a ketone
at the C5 position after the unmasking of the silylenol ether of
spirolactam 5.
This family of spirocyclic-imine-containing marine toxins
has inspired intense synthetic efforts[12] that have culminated
in total or formal syntheses of the pinnatoxins and pteriatox-
ins.[13] However, the total synthesis of gymnodimine remains
[*] K. Kong, Prof. Dr. D. Romo, C. Lee
Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University
P.O. Box 30012, College Station, TX 77842 (USA)
Fax: (+1)979-862-4880
Our initial strategy for fragment coupling called for an
NHK macrocyclization after the joining of the iodotetrahy-
drofuran 10, available in three steps from the previously
described ether 7,[14b] and the optically active spirolactam 11
(95% ee),[19] previously obtained through a catalytic, asym-
metric Diels–Alder reaction (Scheme 3).[14i] After some
experimentation, we found the optimal conditions for a
Barbier-type fragment coupling involving halogen–lithium
exchange in the presence of the N-tosyl lactam electrophile[20]
to provide adduct 12 in 92% yield, whereas generation of the
alkyl lithium and subsequent addition of the N-tosyl lactam
E-mail: romo@tamu.edu
[**] The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health
(GM52964) and the Welch Foundation (A-1280). We thank Dr. Ziad
Moussa for assistance with the scale-up. We thank Dr. Joseph
Reibenspies and Dr. Nattamai Bhuvanesh (TAMU) for X-ray
structure analyses and Prof. John W. Blunt and Prof. Murray H. G.
Munro for providing characterization data for natural gymnodimine.
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
under http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.200903432.
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Scheme 5. Reagents and conditions: a) [PdCl2(PPh3)2], nBu3SnH, THF/
hexanes (1:7), 85%; b) I2, CH2Cl2, À788C, 76%; c) 14b, CrCl2/
0.5 mol% NiCl2, DMF/THF (1:1), 97%, 17a/17b 1.3:1; d) Dess–
Martin periodinane, NaHCO3, CH2Cl2, 88%; e) (R)-Me-CBS, catechol-
borane, CH2Cl2, 08C, 80%, d.r.=6:1; f) Et3N, TBSOTf, CH2Cl2, À788C,
86%; g) NaI, acetone, 658C, 99%; h) tBuLi, Et2O, 238C, 56–61%. (R)-
Me-CBS: (R)-methyl-oxazaborolidine, Tf: trifluoromethanesulfonyl.
Scheme 3. Reagents and conditions: a) Na0, NH3(liq.), THF, À788C,
92%; b) MsCl, Et3N, CH2Cl2, 92%; c) nBu4NI, THF, 668C, 91%;
d) tBuLi, Et2O, À788C, then 11, 17%; or 10 and 11, tBuLi, Et2O,
À788C, 92%. Ms: methanesulfonyl, PMB: para-methoxybenzyl, TBS:
tert-butyldimethylsilyl, THF: tetrahydrofuran, TIPS: triisopropylsilyl, Ts:
toluene-4-sulfonyl.
Hooley,[24] gave optimal conversion into stannane 15. Stan-
nane–iodide exchange at low temperature then afforded the
sensitive vinyl iodide 16 in 76% yield.
gave greatly inferior results (17%). This was a crucial
precedent for the eventual solution for the macrocyclization
(see below) because numerous attempts towards an NHK
macrocyclization from iodoolefins derived from 12 were
unsuccessful. At this juncture, we elected to switch the order
of coupling and investigate a rather unconventional strategy
involving a Barbier-type macrocyclization.[21]
The synthesis of the required tetrahydrofuran aldehyde
14b commenced with deprotection of PMB ether 13a[14b] and
conversion of the resultant alcohol 13b into chloride 13c by
treatment with PPh3/CCl4 in warm N,N-dimethylformamide
(DMF; Scheme 4). After selective hydroboration of the
terminal olefin, the intermediate alcohol 14a was oxidized
with Dess–Martin periodinane to provide aldehyde 14b.[22]
Aldehyde 14b and vinyl iodide 16 were coupled under
standard NHK conditions to provide allylic alcohols 17a/b as
a diastereomeric mixture (1.3:1 b/a epimers at C10); the C10
epimers were readily separable (Scheme 5). The undesired a
epimer 17b could be converted into 17a through an
oxidation/reduction sequence by using the Itsuno–Corey
reduction protocol (d.r. 6:1) to enable greater material
throughput.[25] Subsequent protection of the hydroxy group
and a Finkelstein reaction furnished alkyl iodide 18, the
required intermediate for the crucial macrocyclization, which
could be separated from the undesired C13 epimer at this
stage. The low-temperature conditions (À788C) developed
for the intermolecular Barbier-type coupling (compare with
Scheme 3) were disappointing in this instance and provided
mainly a deiodinated tert-butyl ketone derived from quench-
ing of the alkyl lithium and tBuLi addition to the d lactam.
Surprisingly, performing the reaction in an identical manner
but with addition of the tBuLi to N-tosyl lactam 18 at ambient
temperature (238C) rather than at À788C gave macrocycle 19
reproducibly on scales up to approximately 100 mg in 56–
61% yields. Although both conformational effects and the
relative rates of the halogen–metal exchange,[26] macrocycli-
zation, tBuLi addition to the N-tosyl lactam, and elimination
of tert-butyl iodide must all play a role in this process, further
understanding of this intriguing process must await additional
studies.
Scheme 4. Reagents and conditions: a) Na0, NH3(liq.), THF, À788C,
92%; b) PPh3, CCl4, DMF, 658C, 85%; c) 9-BBN, THF; NaOH, H2O2,
98%; d) Dess–Martin periodinane, NaHCO3, CH2Cl2, 71%. 9-BBN:
9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, DMF: N,N-dimethylformamide.
At this stage, it was necessary to switch the robust N-tosyl
group to a more labile trifluoroacetamide by utilizing our
recently developed protocol for this purpose (Scheme 6).[27]
The silyl groups of macrocycle 20 were then cleaved under
acidic conditions to furnish the crystalline hydroxy ketone 21,
which enabled confirmation of the relative stereochemistry of
the macrocycle by single-crystal X-ray analysis (inset,
Scheme 6).
The synthesis of vinyl iodide partner 16, required for the
projected Barbier macrocyclization, began once again with
optically active spirolactam 11 (Scheme 5). Functionalization
of the internal acetylene in 11 proved to be rather challenging.
Among the protocols examined, only Pd-catalyzed hydro-
stannylation[23] gave the corresponding vinyl stannane 15 and
use of a nonpolar solvent, as reported by Semmelhack and
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col.[31] Careful treatment of the derived Boc-amine 26 with
trifluoroacetic acid led to both tert-butylcarbamate and
silylether cleavage. Finally, cyclization to the cyclic imine
under vacuum led to (À)-gymnodimine (1), as evidenced by
correlation of spectral data of the synthetic material with that
of the natural product.[32] By using an identical synthetic
sequence, C4-epi-gymnodimine (C4-epi-1) was also synthe-
sized from the diastereomeric butenolide alcohol 24b (not
shown) for comparison and provided further evidence that
alcohol 24a possessed the natural configuration at the C4
position.[32]
In conclusion, the first total synthesis of (À)-gymnodimine
was achieved in a highly convergent fashion and featured an
unusual Barbier-type macrocyclization strategy with tBuLi at
ambient temperature. Also, the late-stage appendage of the
chiral butenolide through a vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol
addition to the highly useful macrocyclic ketone 21 provides
convenient avenues for the synthesis of gymnodimine deriv-
atives for further mode-of-action studies and hapten syn-
thesis. The latter studies are directed towards the develop-
ment of a robust ELISA assay for the detection of gymno-
dimine and congeners in the marine environment; these
studies will be reported in due course.
Scheme 6. Reagents and conditions: a) Et3N, (CF3CO)2O, CH2Cl2, 08C,
then SmI2, 238C, 73%; b) p-TSA, CH2Cl2/THF/MeOH, 84%; c) TiCl4,
22, CH2Cl2, 61%, d.r.=1:1; d) TESCl, imidazole, DMAP, CH2Cl2, 238C,
76%, 24a/b d.r. =1:1; e) DBU, CH2Cl2, 60%, 24a/b d.r.=2:1; f) Et3N,
SOCl2, CH2Cl2, À788C, 82%, D5,6/D5,24 =3:1; g) (Boc)2O, Et3N, DMAP,
CH2Cl2, then H2NNH2, 99%; h) TFA, CH2Cl2, 68%. Inset: ORTEP
representation of the X-ray crystal structure of ketone 21. Boc: tert-
butoxycarbonyl, DBU: 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, DMAP: 4-
dimethylaminopyridine, p-TSA: para-toluenesulfonic acid, TES: triethyl-
silyl, TFA: trifluoroacetic acid.
Received: June 25, 2009
Published online: September 2, 2009
Keywords: aldol reaction · butenolides · macrocyclization ·
.
natural products · total synthesis
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[32] See the Supporting Information for details.
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