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The powerful insecticidal and multi-drug-resistance-reversing activities displayed by the stemofoline group of alkaloids render them promising lead structures for further development as commercial agents in agriculture and medicine. However, concise, enantioselective total syntheses of stemofoline alkaloids remain a formidable challenge due to their structural complexity. We disclose herein the enantioselective total syntheses of four stemofoline alkaloids, including (+)-stemofoline, (+)-isostemofoline, (+)-stemoburkilline, and (+)-(11 S ,12 R )-dihydrostemofoline, in just 19 steps. Our strategy relies on a biogenetic hypothesis, which postulates that stemoburkilline and dihydrostemofolines are biogenetic precursors of stemofoline and isostemofoline. Other highlights of our approach are the use of Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction to connect the two segments of the molecule, an improved protocol allowing gram-scale access to the tetracyclic cage-type core, and a Cu-catalyzed direct and versatile nucleophilic alkylation reaction on an anti-Bredt iminium ion. The synthetic techniques that we developed could also be extended to the preparation of other Stemona alkaloids. Stemofoline alkaloids are promising lead structures for further development in the fields of agriculture and medicine. Here, the authors report the enantioselective total syntheses of four stemofoline alkaloids in 19 steps based on a biogenetic hypothesis.

The primary objective in synthetic organic chemistry is to develop highly efficient, selective, and versatile synthetic methodologies, which are essential for discovering new drug candidates and agrochemicals. In this study, we present a unified strategy for a one-pot, catalytic enantioselective synthesis of α-alkyl and α,α′-dialkyl pyrrolidine, piperidine, and indolizidine alkaloids using readily available amides and alkynes. This synthesis is enabled by the identification and development of an Ir/Cu/ N -PINAP catalyzed highly enantioselective and chemoselective reductive alkynylation of α-unbranched aliphatic amides, which serves as the key reaction. This reaction is combined with Pd-catalyzed tandem reactions in a one-pot approach, enabling the collective, catalytic enantioselective total syntheses of eight alkaloids and an anticancer antipode with 90–98% ee . The methodology’s enantio-divergence is exemplified by the one-step access to either enantiomer of alkaloid bgugaine. Saturated α-alkyl aza-heterocycles are found in a wide array of bioactive molecules. Here, the authors disclosed a one-pot, catalytic enantioselective synthesis of pyrrolidine, piperidine and indolizidine alkaloids from amides and alkynes.

Enantiopure vicinal amino alcohols and derivatives are essential structural motifs in natural products and pharmaceutically active molecules, and serve as main chiral sources in asymmetric synthesis. Currently known asymmetric catalytic protocols for this class of compounds are still rare and often suffer from limited scope of substrates, relatively low regio- or stereoselectivities, thus prompting the development of more effective methodologies. Herein we report a dual catalytic strategy for the convergent enantioselective synthesis of vicinal amino alcohols. The method features a radical-type Zimmerman–Traxler transition state formed from a rare earth metal with a nitrone and an aromatic ketyl radical in the presence of chiral N , N ′-dioxide ligands. In addition to high level of enantio- and diastereoselectivities, our synthetic protocol affords advantages of simple operation, mild conditions, high-yielding, and a broad scope of substrates. Furthermore, this protocol has been successfully applied to the concise synthesis of pharmaceutically valuable compounds (e.g., ephedrine and selegiline). Chiral vicinal amino alcohols are found in many bioactive compounds and may serve as chiral ligands. Here, the authors report a photocatalytic enantioselective cross-coupling of nitrones with aromatic aldehydes with a chiral ligand-coordinated rare earth ion synergistically producing enantiopure vicinal amino alcohols.

The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 blocks inflammation through inhibition of p65 DNA binding and is suppressed by p38α-mediated phosphorylation. A small-molecule compound, PDNPA, disrupts p38α-Nur77 interactions and alleviates mouse models of sepsis. Sepsis, a hyperinflammatory response that can result in multiple organ dysfunctions, is a leading cause of mortality from infection. Here, we show that orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 (also known as TR3) can enhance resistance to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis in mice by inhibiting NF-κB activity and suppressing aberrant cytokine production. Nur77 directly associates with p65 to block its binding to the κB element. However, this function of Nur77 is countered by the LPS-activated p38α phosphorylation of Nur77. Dampening the interaction between Nur77 and p38α would favor Nur77 suppression of the hyperinflammatory response. A compound, n -pentyl 2-[3,5-dihydroxy-2-(1-nonanoyl) phenyl]acetate, screened from a Nur77-biased library, blocked the Nur77-p38α interaction by targeting the ligand-binding domain of Nur77 and restored the suppression of the hyperinflammatory response through Nur77 inhibition of NF-κB. This study associates the nuclear receptor with immune homeostasis and implicates a new therapeutic strategy to treat hyperinflammatory responses by targeting a p38α substrate to modulate p38α-regulated functions.

The Vaska’s complex—tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane combination was found to be a highly efficient cooperative catalysis system for the hydrosilylative reduction of tertiary amides to yield amines under mild conditions. The reaction shows high chemoselectivity, tolerating halide, phenolyl, alkenyl, nitro, nitrile, ester, azido, ketone, and enone functional groups. For unsubstituted cyclohexanone carboxamide, two variations were established to achieve either catalytic concomitant reduction of the two carbonyl groups or selective reduction of the amide carbonyl. The protocol was applied to the efficient synthesis and late-stage modification of several pharmaceuticals and derivatives. Importantly, we showed that by simply prolonging reaction time to 24–28 h, the reaction can reach an exceptionally high efficiency with turnover number (TON) up to 9.8×10 6 and turnover frequency (TOF) up to 408,333 at a quite low catalyst loading of 0.00001 mol% (S/C (Ir) = 10,000,000).

We report herein the fourth generation of our synthetic strategy to chaetominine-type alkaloids featuring two modifications of the last step of our 4 to 6-step approach. Firstly, by employing EDCI/HOBt as the coupling system for the last step of the one-pot O -debenzylation–lactamization reaction, the overall yield of our previous total synthesis of (–)-isochaetominine A was increased from 25.4% to 30.8% over five steps. Secondly, a new protocol featuring the use of an aged solution of K 2 CO 3 /MeOH to quench the DMDO epoxidation-triggered cascade reaction was developed, which allowed the in situ selective mono- or double epimerization at C11/C14 as shown by the diastereodivergent synthesis of a pair of diastereomers of versiquinazoline H from its tripeptide precursor. This double epimerization at the last-step allowed the enantiodivergent synthesis of two enantiomers in either racemate form or two pure enantiomers from the same precursor. The former was demonstrated by the synthesis of alkaloid 14- epi -isochaetominine C that was used to determine the enantiomeric excess of the synthesized natural product (98.7% ee), while the latter was illustrated by the synthesis of both enantiomers of the alkaloid isochaetominine. Additionally, the reported structures of alkaloids aspera chaetominines A and B have been synthesized. Moreover, the four-step synthesis of the reported structure of aspera chaetominine B generated another diastereomer that was converted in one-pot to (–)-isochaetominine C, which turned out to be the revised structure of aspera chaetominine B.

N -Acylpyrrole-type amides are a class of versatile building blocks in asymmetric synthesis. We report that by employing Ni(COD) 2 /2,2′-bipyridine (5 mol%) catalytic system, the direct, catalytic alcoholysis of N -acylpyrrole-type aromatic and aliphatic amides with both primary and secondary alcohols can be achieved efficiently under very mild conditions (rt, 1 h) even at gram scale. By increasing the catalyst loading to 10 mol%, prolonging reaction time (18 h), and/or elevating reaction temperature to 50 °C/80 °C, the reaction could be extended to both complex and hindered N -acylpyrroles as well as to N -acylpyrazoles, N acylindoles, and to other (functionalized) primary and secondary alcohols. In all cases, only 1.5 equiv. of alcohol were used. The value of the method has been demonstrated by the racemization-free, catalytic alcoholysis of chiral amides yielded from other asymmetric methodologies.

TR3 is an orphan nuclear receptor with roles in apoptosis. A TR3-binding compound induces mitochondrial translocation of TR3 and autophagy via the Nix–Toms–ANT1/VDAC1 pathway, providing a mechanism for cell death in melanoma cells that are resistant to spontaneous and drug-induced apoptosis. Autophagy is linked to cell death, yet the associated mechanisms are largely undercharacterized. We discovered that melanoma, which is generally resistant to drug-induced apoptosis, can undergo autophagic cell death with the participation of orphan nuclear receptor TR3. A sequence of molecular events leading to cellular demise is launched by a specific chemical compound, 1-(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)nonan-1-one, newly acquired from screening a library of TR3-targeting compounds. The autophagic cascade comprises TR3 translocation to mitochondria through interaction with the mitochondrial outer membrane protein Nix, crossing into the mitochondrial inner membrane through Tom40 and Tom70 channel proteins, dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential by the permeability transition pore complex ANT1–VDAC1 and induction of autophagy. This process leads to excessive mitochondria clearance and irreversible cell death. It implicates a new approach to melanoma therapy through activation of a mitochondrial signaling pathway that integrates a nuclear receptor with autophagy for cell death.

A small molecule that disrupts interaction between Nur77 and LKB1 leads to LKB1 exit from the nucleus to activate cytoplasmic AMPK and, ultimately, reduces blood glucose and insulin in diabetic mice. Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) has important roles in governing energy homeostasis by regulating the activity of the energy sensor kinase AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The regulation of LKB1 function, however, is still poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 binds and sequesters LKB1 in the nucleus, thereby attenuating AMPK activation. This Nur77 function is antagonized by the chemical compound ethyl 2-[2,3,4-trimethoxy-6-(1-octanoyl)phenyl]acetate (TMPA), which interacts with Nur77 with high affinity and at specific sites. TMPA binding of Nur77 results in the release and shuttling of LKB1 to the cytoplasm to phosphorylate AMPKα. Moreover, TMPA effectively reduces blood glucose and alleviates insulin resistance in type II db / db and high-fat diet– and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice but not in diabetic littermates with the Nur77 gene knocked out. This study attains a mechanistic understanding of the regulation of LKB1-AMPK axis and implicates Nur77 as a new and amenable target for the design and development of therapeutics to treat metabolic diseases.

Uniting the key organic topics of total synthesis and efficient synthetic methodologies, this book clearly overviews synthetic strategies and tactics applied in total synthesis, demonstrating how the total synthesis of natural products enables scientific and drug discovery. • Focuses on efficiency, a fundamental and important issue in natural products synthesis that makes natural product synthesis a powerful tool in biological and pharmaceutical science • Describes new methods like organocatalysis, multicomponent and cascade reactions, and biomimetic synthesis • Appeals to graduate students with two sections at the end of each chapter illustrating key reactions, strategies, tactics, and concepts; and good but unfinished total synthesis (synthesis of core structure) before the last section • Compiles examples of solid phase synthesis and continuing flow chemistry-based total synthesis which are very relevant and attractive to industry R&D professionals