Hexahydronaphthalene portion

Kozikowski and Li (268) also made use of this protocol for the construction of the hexahydronaphthalene portion of the hypocholesteremic agent compactin (256) (see Section 6.4.2.2). The oxime derived by from alcohol 253 (via y-lactone 252) was heated with aqueous sodium hypochlorite in the presence of triethylamine to give the tricyclic isoxazoline adduct 254 (Scheme 6.96). Reductive hydrolysis and dehydration afforded enone 255, which in several further steps led to compactin (256) (268). 

Scheme 10-13 Ether-linked triene 41 has been elaborated to the hexahydronaphthalene portion of compactin.

The structural feature of these compounds is the hexahydronaphthalene ring system which is functionalized with a-methylbutyric acid ester and a P-hydroxy-8-lactone linked by an ethylene bridge. The p-hydroxy-8-lactone portion of these compounds can be easily opened, and it is converted to the 3, 5 -dihydroxyheptanoic acid [22]. This hydroxy acid portion of their structures, which resembles the HMG portion of the HMG-CoA, is responsible for the activity, and it is known to interact competitively with the HMG binding domain of the enzyme active site [37]. 

---