Macrolide

A more eflicient and general synthetic procedure is the Masamune reaction of aldehydes with boron enolates of chiral a-silyloxy ketones. A double asymmetric induction generates two new chiral centres with enantioselectivities > 99%. It is again explained by a chair-like six-centre transition state. The repulsive interactions of the bulky cyclohexyl group with the vinylic hydrogen and the boron ligands dictate the approach of the enolate to the aldehyde (S. Masamune, 1981 A). The fi-hydroxy-x-methyl ketones obtained are pure threo products (threo = threose- or threonine-like Fischer formula also termed syn" = planar zig-zag chain with substituents on one side), and the reaction has successfully been applied to macrolide syntheses (S. Masamune, 1981 B). Optically pure threo (= syn") 8-hydroxy-a-methyl carboxylic acids are obtained by desilylation and periodate oxidation (S. Masamune, 1981 A). Chiral 0-((S)-trans-2,5-dimethyl-l-borolanyl) ketene thioketals giving pure erythro (= anti ) diastereomers have also been developed by S. Masamune (1986). 

The synthesis of five-, six-, and seven-membered cyclic esters or timides uses intramolecular condensations under the same reaction condifions as described for intermolecular reactions. Yields are generally excellent. An example from the colchicine synthesis of E.E. van Ta-melen (1961) is given below. The synthesis of macrocyclic lactones (macrolides) and lactams (n > 8), however, which are of considerable biochemical and pharmacological interest, poses additional problems because of competing intermolecular polymerization reactions (see p. 246ff.). Inconveniently high dilution, which would be necessary to circumvent this side-... 

The cyclization reactions discussed here either involve the intramolecular reaction of a donor group D with an acceptor group A or a cyclizing dimerization of two molecules with two terminal acceptors and two donors. A polymerization reaction will always compete with cyclization. For macrolides see p. 146 and p. 319 — 329. 

In the last fifteen years macrolides have been the major target molecules for complex stereoselective total syntheses. This choice has been made independently by R.B. Woodward and E.J. Corey in Harvard, and has been followed by many famous fellow Americans, e.g., G. Stork, K.C. Nicolaou, S. Masamune, C.H. Heathcock, and S.L. Schreiber, to name only a few. There is also no other class of compounds which is so suitable for retrosynthetic analysis and for the application of modem synthetic reactions, such as Sharpless epoxidation, Noyori hydrogenation, and stereoselective alkylation and aldol reactions. We have chosen a classical synthesis by E.J. Corey and two recent syntheses by A.R. Chamberlin and S.L. Schreiber as examples. 

Total syntheses have been reported by E.J. Corey (1978B, 1979). We outline only the stereoselective synthesis of a protected fragment (A) which contains carbon atoms 1—9. This fragment was combined with fragment (B) by a Grignard reaction and cyclized by one of the methods typical for macrolide formation (see p. 146). 

The intramolecular coupling of organostannanes is applied to macrolide synthesis. In the zearalenone synthesis, no cyclization was observed between arylstannane and alkenyl iodide. However, intramolecular coupling take.s place between the alkenylstannane and aryl iodide in 706. A similar cyclization is possible by the reaction of the alkenylstannane 707 with enol triflate[579]. The coupling was applied to the preparation of the bicyclic 1,3-diene system 708[580]. 

Allylalion of the alkoxymalonitrile 231 followed by hydrolysis affords acyl cyanide, which is converted into the amide 232. Hence the reagent 231 can be used as an acyl anion equivalent[144]. Methoxy(phenylthio)acetonitrile is allylated with allylic carbonates or vinyloxiranes. After allylation. they are converted into esters or lactones. The intramolecular version using 233 has been applied to the synthesis of the macrolide 234[37]. The /i,7-unsaturated nitrile 235 is prepared by the reaction of allylic carbonate with trimethylsilyl cyanide[145]. 

Intramolecular 1,4-addition is useful for macrolide synthesis. An unusual molecule of punctaporonin B (272) has been synthesized by this 1,4-addition of 271(160]. Cyclization to form the seventeen-membered ring macrolide 273 was carried out at 0.1-0.5 vi concentration[161. The choice of ligands seems to be important in the macrocyclization. The 26-membered ring model 274 for a synthesis of the ring system of tetrin A was obtained in 92% yield by using triisopropyl phosphite as a ligand[162]. 

---