TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF CYCLOTHIALIDINE

A total synthesis of cyclothialidine (1), a new DNA gyrase inhibitor isolated from Streptomyces filipinensis, is described. The synthetic concept was tested by preparing the lactone 13 (Scheme 2) which contains the characteristic bicyclic core entity of 1. Key features of the synthesis of 1 are: preparation of 3,5-dihydroxy-2,6-dimethylbenzoic acid (23) from 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (19) by two consecutive Mannich aminomethylation/hydrogenation sequences; benzylic N-bromosuccinimide bromination of an ester derivative 25 thereof and its subsequent coupling with Boc-Ser-Cys-OMe (11); cyclization of the ω-hydroxy acid 2929 to the 12-membered lactone 30 using preferably Mitsunobu conditions; completion of the peptidic side chains of 1 using Boc strategy (Scheme 4). Optically pure cis-N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-hydroxy-L-proline ((–)-14) was obtained by resolution of the racemate via an efficient reaction sequence containing a lipase-catalyzed enantiospecific acetate hydrolysis (Scheme 3). The structure of natural 1 was confirmed by comparison with the synthetic material. The synthetic route described provides also easy access to analogues of 1, e.g., via the intermediate 30.