Novel sources of antibiotics are needed to address the serious threat of bacterial resistance. Accordingly, we have launched a structure-based drug design program featuring a desmethylation strategy wherein methyl groups have been replaced with hydrogens. Herein we report the total synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation of 4-desmethyl telithromycin (6), a novel desmethyl analogue of the third-generation ketolide antibiotic telithromycin (2) and our final analogue in this series. While 4-desmethyl telithromycin (6) was found to be equipotent with telithromycin (2) against wild-type bacteria, it was 4-fold less potent against the A2058G mutant. These findings reveal that strategically replacing the C4-methyl group with hydrogen (i.e., desmethylation) did not address this mechanism of resistance. Throughout the desmethyl series, the sequential addition of methyls to the 14-membered macrolactone resulted in improved bioactivity. Molecular modeling methods indicate that changes in conformational flexibility dominate the increased biological activity; moreover, they reveal 6 adopts a different conformation once bound to the A2058G ribosome, thus impacting noncovalent interactions reflected in a lower MIC value. Finally, fluorescence polarization experiments of 6 with E. coli ribosomes confirmed 6 is indeed binding the ribosome.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are emerging at an alarming rate in both hospital and community settings. Motivated by this issue, we have prepared desmethyl (i.e., replacing methyl groups with hydrogens) analogues of third-generation macrolide drugs telithromycin (TEL, 2) and cethromycin (CET, 6), both of which are semi-synthetic derivatives of flagship macrolide antibiotic erythromycin (1). Herein, we report the total synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation of 4,8,10-tridesmethyl cethromycin (7). In MIC assays, CET analogue 7 was found to be equipotent with TEL (2) against a wild-type E. coli strain, more potent than previously disclosed desmethyl TEL congeners 3, 4, and 5, but fourfold less potent than TEL (2) against a mutant E. coli A2058G strain.

There is an urgent need for novel sources of antibiotics to address the incessant and inevitable onset of bacterial resistance. To this end, we have initiated a structure-based drug design program that features a desmethylation strategy (i.e., replacing methyl groups with hydrogens). Herein, we report the total synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation of 4,8-didesmethyl telithromycin (5), a novel desmethyl analogue of the third-generation ketolide antibiotic telithromycin (2), which is an FDA-approved semisynthetic derivative of erythromycin (1). We found 5 to be eight times more active than previously prepared 4,8,10-tridesmethyl congener (3) and two times more active than 4,10-didesmethyl regioisomer (4) in MIC assays. While less potent than telithromycin (2) and paralleling the observations made in the previous study of 4,10-didesmethyl analogue (4), the inclusion of a single methyl group improves biological activity, thus supporting its role in antibiotic activity.

The olefin cross-metathesis reaction has been sequenced with four common organic transformations in a one- or two-pot manner to rapidly access useful building blocks. Those reactions are: (1) phosphorus-based olefination (e.g., Wittig and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons); (2) hydride reduction; (3) Evans propionate aldol reaction; (4) Brown allyl- and Roush crotyl-boration. The products of these reactions include stereodefined 2,4-dienoates, trans allylic alcohols, syn-propionate aldols, and chiral non-racemic homoallylic alcohols, respectively. Many of these intermediates have been carried further to natural products, demonstrating the utility of the methodology.

Novel sources of antibiotics are required to address the serious problem of antibiotic resistance. Telithromycin (2) is a third-generation macrolide antibiotic prepared from erythromycin (1) and used clinically since 2004. Herein we report the details of our efforts that ultimately led to the total synthesis of (-)-4,8,10-tridesmethyl telithromycin (3) wherein methyl groups have been replaced with hydrogens. The synthesis of desmethyl macrolides has emerged as a novel strategy for preparing bioactive antibiotics.

Concise total syntheses of strychnos alkaloids strychnine (1) and akuammicine (2) have been realized in 13 and 6 operations, respectively. Key steps include (1) the viny-logous Mannich reaction; (2) a novel, sequential one-pot spirocyclization/intramolecular aza-Baylis-Hillman reaction; and (3) a Heck cyclization. The synthesis of 1 proceeds via the Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde (26).

AbstractThe formation of the title compounds is achieved via previously reported sequential one‐pot spirocyclization/intramolecular aza‐Baylis—Hillman procedure.

Two approaches toward the total synthesis of cytotoxic polyketide natural product (+)-crocacin C (1) are described. The first approach, which was ultimately unsuccessful, was replaced altogether with a second that afforded target 1 in 10 linear steps from commercially available Evans’ chiral propionimide (5% overall yield). No protecting groups were utilized in the total synthesis of 1.

Several di- and trisubstituted primary (E)-allylic alcohols have been prepared from the corresponding terminal olefins in a highly stereoselective manner (>20:1 E/Z) by sequencing olefin cross-metathesis (CM) with hydride reduction (DIBAL-H) in good yields utilizing only commercially available reagents in a one-pot fashion. The method is a reliable alternative to the direct CM of terminal olefins with allyl alcohol, which is not always stereoselective but rather highly substrate dependent.

A variety of stereodefined 2,4-dienoates have been prepared in a stereoselective manner by sequencing olefin cross-metathesis (CM) with phosphorus-based olefination reactions (Wittig and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons) in good yield using commercially available reagents.