50
A. M. Faísca Phillips et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 24 (2014) 49–53
O
P
We chose two different types of ester protecting groups: cyclic
O
P
OH
N
H3C
H
phosphonate esters, which are usually more stable than the analo-
gous alkyl esters, and phenyl phosphonate esters which are much
more labile.17,20 The two series of hydroxyphosphonates to be
screened were prepared as shown in Schemes 1 and 2.
For the phosphonates shown in Scheme 1, the intermediate
cyclic phosphite ester 1 needed was obtained via the reaction of
2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol with phosphorus trichloride in the
OH
OH
HO
HO
OH
H
H
O
O
Fosfomycin
Fosmidomycin
O
P
R1O
HO
R1O
O
O
P
O
OH
H
N
P
OH
presence of ethanol, according to
a previously published
HO
HO
Ala
O
N
H
Cl
Cl
procedure.21 Hydroxyphosphonates 2–6 were obtained after the
modified Pudovik reaction (Scheme 1). Diphenyl phosphite is com-
mercially available, and with it hydroxyphosphonates 8–12 could
be synthesized (Scheme 2). 2-Chloroindanone, needed for the syn-
thesis of 12, was obtained via another organocatalyzed reaction, a
O
O
R2
R3
OH
Plumbemycin A
Fosfonochlorin
A
Figure 1. Phosphonate antibiotics.
thiourea-catalyzed
a-chlorination, using N-chlorosuccinimide as
the halogen source.22 To the best of our knowledge, phosphonates
9, 11 and 12 have not been previously described in the literature.23
In the synthesis of compounds 9, 11 and 12, the desired product
was obtained as the major product, together with small amounts of
enolphosphate, as determined by 31P NMR spectroscopy. In each
case there was also usually, in addition, an extra signal at
d = 128.5 ppm, due to unreacted starting material in the phosphite
form (<5%).24 Phosphonates 9 and 12 were obtained as mixtures of
diastereoisomers in approximately a 90:10 ratio. The major diaste-
reoisomers were isolated by chromatography on silica gel and
subsequently recrystallized. Their structures were established by
one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic techniques and by
infrared spectroscopy. Their composition was confirmed by ele-
mental analysis. In the case of cyclopentanol derivatives 9 and
12, NOESY experiments provided some information (included in
the Supplementary data section). C-1 is quaternary and the hydro-
xyl proton did not appear as an independent signal in the spectrum
showing coupling to the C-2 proton. It appears as a very broad sin-
glet in the spectra of most of the compounds in these series. The
nearest protons which could show cross peaks with H-2 and hence
help to establish the stereochemistry at C-2 are the aromatic pro-
tons on the phosphorus ester substituents. They also showed no
cross peaks with H-2, but this fact cannot be taken unambiguosly
that the enzymes that cause resistance to fosfomycin, namely, Fos
A, Fos B, and Fos X, function by nucleophilic attack at the carbon
atom
carbon atom, reaction at this position would become more difficult,
and interesting biological activity may result. We recently
developed an organocatalyzed method for the synthesis of
a
to phosphorus.12 If this centre were to be a quaternary
b-chloro-
structurally related to fosfonochlorin.13 There are existing exam-
ples of biologically active -hydroxyphosphonic acids which are
enzymes inhibitors, but not of biologically active -quaternary
b-chloro-
-hydroxyphosphonates.13 We produced a set of these
a-quaternary hydroxyphosphonates A, which are also
a
a
a
compounds to screen for potential bioactivity and for structure-
activity relationship studies. In this paper we report the synthesis
and characterization of some new phosphonates, not previously
described in the literature, and our results on the evaluation of
the full set for potential antimicrobial activity.
The synthesis of the required
a-hydroxyphosphonates was
based on a method recently developed by us,13 which involves
an organocatalyzed regioselective modified Pudovik reaction be-
tween a dialkylphosphite and a
a
-haloketone.14,15 This reaction
may be carried out under mild conditions using catalytic amounts
of quinine in the presence of a stoichiometric base such as proton-
sponge or pyridine.13 When these conditions are used, b-chloro-
a-
hydroxyphosphonates are obtained. The reaction is compatible
with aliphatic, cyclic or aromatic -haloketones. Since phosphonic
a
acids are negatively charged at nearly all physiological pH values,16
compounds bearing these groups are very polar. High polarity can
be a set back in a drug, preventing efficient delivery to target or-
gans, since highly ionized species do not pass readily across muco-
sal and cellular membranes. The volume of distribution and
bioavailability will be relatively low. In drugs, phosphonates and
phosphates are usually derivatized as neutral esters that can break
down in the body to release the parent drug, since this modifica-
tion alters membrane permeability and improves oral (GI perme-
ability), brain, tumour and cellular delivery. A few studies have
shown the influence of the nature of the phosphonate ester groups
on drug delivery and bioavailability. For example, the acyclic
nucleotide analogue 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethoxy]adenine, a
potent and selective inhibitor of the human immunodeficiency
virus-1 (HIV-1) and immunodeficiency virus-2 (HIV-2), has
very low bioavailability.17 Derivatization as bis[pivaloyloxy)
methyl]ester or diphenyl ester provide good oral bioavailability.17
A similar effect of the phenyl group was shown in Adefovir, 9-[2-
(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine, a nucleotide analogue used
clinically to treat chronic hepatitis B virus infection. It also
enhanced the in vitro activity against HSV-2 (G-strain) when com-
O
EtOH
r.t.
PCl3
O
O
P
H
OH OH
1
O
Cl
(Ar)R
quinine / pyridine or proton sponge
toluene, r.t.
O
O
O
O
O
O
P
P
HO
Cl
O
Cl
HO
Me
2
3
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
P
P
P
Cl
Cl
Cl
Me
HO
HO
HO
pared with the unprotected drug (IC50 = 77 lM vs 119 lM in the
unprotected drug).18 With the endopeptidase inhibitor CGS
25462, diphenyl ester derivatization provided a 200-fold increase
of the active drug in the plasma above its IC50 value.19
4
5
Cl
6
Scheme 1. Synthesis of cyclic alkylphosphonate esters.