Vindolin

Initial attempts to synthesize the compounds (22) were hampered by the failure to obtain the correct stereochemical configuration about the vindoline—catharanthine linkage, a most difficult problem eventually solved by insight and hard work (83). 

Vindoline [2182-14-1] (45), a monomeric Vinca alkaloid intermediate important in the synthesis of antineoplastic alkaloids, is selectively converted in good yield to 0-desmethylvindoline [68687-22-9] (46) by cultures of Sepedonium chrysospermum (17,25), whereas Streptomyces albogriseolus removes only the A[-methyl group to give (47) (91) (see Chemotherapeutics, anticancer). 

The field of alkaloid synthesis via tandem cyclizations favors the application of (TMSlsSiH over other radical-based reagents, due to its very low toxicity and high chemoselectivity. For example, cyclization of the iodoarylazide 102, mediated by (TMSlsSiH under standard experimental conditions, produced the N-Si(TMS)3 protected alkaloid 103 that after washing with dilute acid afforded the amine 104 in an overall 83% yield from 102 (Reaction 81). ° The formation of the labile N-Si(TMS)3 bond was thought to arise from the reaction of the product amine 104 with the by-product (TMSlsSil. The skeletons of ( )-horsfiline, ( )-aspidospermidine and (+ )-vindoline have been achieved by this route. - ... 

Tables 4.32 and 4.33 summarize the metrics for the synthesis plans for both products. The Fukuyama plans to both targets are very similar differing only in the very late stages of each plan. The Kuehne plan to vinblastine is considerably shorter than the Fukuyama one since it uses (—) -vindoline as an available starting material in stage 11. This explains why its overall kernel RME is 17 times larger than that of the Fukuyama plan. For a more fair comparison, if the upper two branches leading to (—)-vindoline are omitted from the Fukuyama plan, the number of stages remain the same at 27 but the number of reactions and inputs decreases to 29 and 47, respectively. These changes result in an increase in overall kernel RME from 0.3% to 0.5% but it is still an order of magnitude less than that determined for the Kuehne...

Kobayashi, S., Ueda, T, Fukuyama, T. (2000) An Efficient Total Synthesis of (—)-Vindoline. Synlett, 883-886. 

The skeleton of the indole alkaloid ( )-vindoline was prepared in a similar way [27]. 

Scheme 4.29. Synthesis of analogues of the indole alkaloid vindoline.

Having an efficient total synthesis of the indole alkaloid vindoline in mind, the Boger group [47] developed a facile entry to its core structure using a domino [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition. Reaction of the 1,3,4-oxadiazoles 4-139 led to 4-140 in high yield and excellent stereoselectivity via the intermediates 4-141 and 4-142 (Scheme 4.29). 

In contrast to the failure of Diels-Alder reactions, dipolar cycloadditions of indoles are much more successful, and the Boger group has reported a fascinating [4+2]/l,3-dipolar cycloaddition cascade involving indole as the dipolarophile in their impressive synthesis of vindoline (Scheme 4.8) [26]. After the initial... 

Mejla-Oneto and Padwa have explored intramolecular [3+2] cycloaddition reactions of push-pull dipoles across heteroaromatic jr-systems induced by microwave irradiation [465]. The push-pull dipoles were generated from the rhodium(II)-cata-lyzed reaction of a diazo imide precursor containing a tethered heteroaromatic ring. In the example shown in Scheme 6.276, microwave heating of a solution of the diazo imide precursor in dry benzene in the presence of a catalytic amount of rhodium I) pivalate and 4 A molecular sieves for 2 h at 70 °C produced a transient cyclic carbonyl ylide dipole, which spontaneously underwent cydoaddition across the tethered benzofuran Jt-system to form a pentacyclic structure related to alkaloids of the vindoline type. 

A systematic exploration of the intramolecular [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition cascade of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles was described. The studies permit the use of unsymmetrical dienophiles, dipolarophiles, and oxadiazoles as well as to control the cycloaddition regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. The scope and utility of the reaction were defined <2006JA10589>. The tandem intramolecular [4+2]/[3+2] cycloaddition cascade reaction of 1,3,4-oxadiazole was applied to the syntheses of a series of natural products including a total synthesis of (-)- and ent-(+)-vindoline <2006JA10596>. 

A total synthesis of (+ )-vinblastine widely used in cancer chemotherapy, has been reported. It includes the synthesis of (-)-vindoline. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of a nitrile oxide has played an important role in the preparation of the indoloazacycloundecane moiety, whose coupling with (-)-vindoline occurs with the desired stereochemistry, leading to an intermediate readily transformed to the target (+ )-vinblastine (492). 

Salutaridinol 7-0-acetyltransferase catalyzes the conversion of the phenanthrene alkaloid salutaridinol to salutaridinol-7-Oacetate, the immediate precursor of thebaine along the morphine biosynthetic pathway in P. somniferum (Fig. 10.7).26 Acetyl CoA-dependent acetyltransferases have an important role in plant alkaloid metabolism. They are involved in the synthesis of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in medicinal plant species such as Rauwolfia serpentina. In this plant, the enzyme vinorine synthase transfers an acetyl group from acetyl CoA to 16-epi-vellosimine to form vinorine. This acetyl transfer is accompanied by a concomitant skeletal rearrangement from the sarpagan- to the ajmalan-type (reviewed in2). An acetyl CoA-dependent acetyltransferase also participates in vindoline biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus, the source of the chemotherapeutic dimeric indole alkaloid vinblastine (reviewed in2). Acetyl CoA deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase catalyzes the last step in vindoline biosynthesis. A cDNA encoding acetyl CoA deacetylvindoline 4-0-acetyltransferase was recently successfully isolated.27... 

ST-PIERRE, B., LAFLAMME, P ALARCO, A.-M., DE LUCA, V., The terminal O-acetyltransferase involved in vindoline biosynthesis defines a new class of proteins responsible for coenzyme A-dependent acyl transfer, Plant J., 1998,14, 703-713. 

Fig. 2. Titration of 4.7 horseradish peroxidase (Curve A) with equimolar hydrogen peroxide to form HRP-compound I (Curve B), followed by addition of 7.0 pA/ vindoline (Curve C). Spectra were recorded every 15 sec. 

The structure of HRP-I has been identified as an Fe(IV) porphyrin -ir-cation radical by a variety of spectroscopic methods (71-74). The oxidized forms of HRP present differences in their visible absorption spectra (75-77). These distinct spectral characteristics of HRP have made this a very useful redox protein for studying one-electron transfers in alkaloid reactions. An example is illustrated in Fig. 2 where the one-electron oxidation of vindoline is followed by observing the oxidation of native HRP (curve A) with equimolar H202 to HRP-compound I (curve B). Addition of vindoline to the reaction mixture yields the absorption spectrum of HRP-compound II (curve C) (78). This methodology can yield useful information on the stoichiometry and kinetics of electron transfer from an alkaloid substrate to HRP. Several excellent reviews on the properties, mechanism, and oxidation states of peroxidases have been published (79-81). 

Extensive biotransformation studies have been conducted with the As-pidosperma alkaloid vindoline, but much less work has been done with monomeric Iboga and dimeric alkaloids from this plant. The long-standing interest in this group of compounds stems from the clinical importance of the dimeric alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine, both of which have been used for more than 2 decades in the treatment of cancer. Few mammalian metabolites of dimeric Catharanthus alkaloids have been characterized. Thus the potential role of alkaloid metabolism in mechanism of action or dose-limiting toxicities remains unknown. The fact that little information existed about the metabolic fate of representative Aspidosperma and Iboga alkaloids and Vinca dimers prompted detailed microbial, mammalian enzymatic, and chemical studies with such compounds as vindoline, cleavamine, catharanthine, and their derivatives. Patterns of metabolism observed with the monomeric alkaloids would be expected to occur with the dimeric compounds. 

Scheme 14. The structures of vindoline (46) and derivatives, vinblastine and vincristine (52 and 53), and dihydrovindoline ether (54).

Earlier biotransformation studies with vindoline were reported from the Eli Lilly Laboratories (166-168), and microbial transformation products included N-demethylvindoline (48), deacetylvindoline (49), and a structurally novel com-... 

Scheme 15. Pathways of oxidation of vindoline by Streptomyces griseus, copper oxidases, and peroxidases.

Eckenrode et al. demonstrated that copper oxidases could oxidize vindoline through the same sequence of intermediates found in the metabolism of the alkaloid by Streptomyces griseus. Laccase from Polyporus anceps, laccase from the lacquer tree, and the mammalian (human serum) equivalent copper oxidase... 

Scheme 16. The flow of electrons during the oxidation of vindoline by copper oxidases. 

Two additional systems were exploited in order to confirm the involvement of free-radical processes during vindoline oxidations. These were the enzyme peroxidase and photochemistry. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) oxidized both vindoline and 16-O-acetylvindoline in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Vindoline was converted to the enamine dimer 59 (78). During the reaction, the following sequence of redox reactions occurs ... 

The form of the enzyme with the greatest oxidation potential is known as horseradish peroxidase, compound 1 (HRP-I), which consists of a radical cation stabilized throughout the highly conjugated protoporphyrin IX ring system. In the presence of vindoline, HRP-I is reduced to HRP-H, an Fe(IV) form of the enzyme. The vindoline cation radical 55 thus formed eliminates a second elec-... 

Scheme 17. The course of oxidation of vindoline by horseradish peroxidase.

Recent work in our laboratories has confirmed the existence of a similar pathway in the oxidation of vindoline in mammals (777). The availability of compounds such as 59 as analytical standards, along with published mass spectral and NMR spectral properties of this compound, served to facilitate identification of metabolites formed in mammalian liver microsome incubations. Two compounds are produced during incubations with mouse liver microsome preparations 17-deacetylvindoline, and the dihydrovindoline ether dimer 59. Both compounds were isolated and completely characterized by spectral comparison to authentic standards. This work emphasizes the prospective value of microbial and enzymatic transformation studies in predicting pathways of metabolism in mammalian systems. This work would also suggest the involvement of cytochrome P-450 enzyme system(s) in the oxidation process. Whether the first steps involve direct introduction of molecular oxygen at position 3 of vindoline or an initial abstraction of electrons, as in Scheme 15, remains unknown. The establishment of a metabolic pathway in mammals, identical to those found in Strep-tomycetes, with copper oxidases and peroxidases again confirms the prospective value of the microbial models of mammalian metabolism concept. 

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