Total synthesis of (-)-zampanolide and structure-activity relationship studies on (-)-dactylolide derivatives

Abstract

A new total synthesis of the marine macrolide (-)-zampanolide (1) and the structurally and stereochemically related non-natural levorotatory enantiomer of (+)-dactylolide (2), that is, ent-2, has been developed. The synthesis features a high-yielding, selective intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction to close the 20-membered macrolactone ring of 1 and ent-2. The β-keto phosphonate/aldehyde precursor for the ring-closure reaction was obtained by esterification of a ω-diethylphosphono carboxylic acid fragment and a secondary alcohol fragment incorporating the THP ring that is embedded in the macrocyclic core structure of 1 and ent-2. THP ring formation was accomplished through a segment coupling Prins-type cyclization. Employing the same overall strategy, 13-desmethylene-ent-2 as well as the monocyclic desTHP derivatives of 1 and ent-2 were prepared. Synthetic 1 inhibited human cancer cell growth in vitro with nM IC50 values, while ent-2, which lacks the diene-containing hemiaminal-linked side chain of 1, is 25- to 260-fold less active. 13-Desmethylene-ent-2 as well as the reduced versions of ent-2 and 13-desmethylene-ent-2 all showed similar cellular activity as ent-2 itself. The same activity level was attained by the monocyclic desTHP derivative of 1. Oxidation of the aldehyde functionality of ent-2 gave a carboxylic acid that was converted into the corresponding N-hexyl amide. The latter showed only μM antiproliferative activity, thus being several hundred-fold less potent than 1. It's the side chain that matters: The marine macrolide (-)-zampanolide (1) has been synthesized via (-)-dactylolide (ent-2), the non-natural enantiomer of the marine natural product (+)-dactylolide (2), employing a high-yielding intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction to close the macrolactone ring. While the hemiaminal-linked side chain in 1 is crucial for nanomolar antiproliferative activity, the methylene group and the aldehyde functionality in ent-2 are dispensable. A monocyclic destetrahydropyran derivative of 1 shows equal activity as ent-2. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.