1. Stereoselective synthesis of alpha- and beta-L-C-fucosyl aldehydes and their utility in the assembly of C-fucosides of biological relevance
Alessandro Dondoni, Nicola Catozzi, Alberto Marra J Org Chem. 2004 Jul 23;69(15):5023-36. doi: 10.1021/jo049406a.
An efficient synthesis of O-benzylated derivatives of the title sugar aldehydes via thiazole addition to tri-O-benzyl-l-fuconolactone followed by highly stereoselective deoxygenation of the resulting thiazolylketose and thiazole to formyl transformation is described. Wittig olefination of these aldehydes with galactopyranose and glucopyranose 6-phosphoranes and reduction of the resulting alkenes afforded alpha- and beta-linked (1-->6)-L-C-fucosyl disaccharides, namely, beta-L-C-Fuc-(1-->6)-alpha-D-Gal, alpha-L-C-Fuc-(1-->6)-alpha-D-Gal, and alpha-L-C-Fuc-(1-->6)-alpha-d-Glc. The alpha-anomer of the above C-fucosyl aldehydes was transformed into a C-fucosylmethyl triphenylphosphonium iodide from which the corresponding C-fucosylmethylene phosphorane was generated upon treatment with BuLi. This phosphorane reacted with the Garner aldehyde (N-Boc D-serinal acetonide) and its one-carbon higher homologue to give alkenes whose reduction and unveiling of the glycinyl group from the oxazolidine ring afforded C-fucosyl alpha-amino acids, namely alpha-L-linked C-fucosyl serines and C-fucosyl asparagines. As a final test of the synthetic utility of the title aldehydes, the beta-anomer was employed as starting material in the stereoselective synthesis of both R- and S-epimer L-C-fucosyl phenylhydroxy acetates. One epimer was obtained by reaction of the sugar aldehyde with phenylmagnesium bromide, oxidation of the resulting alcohol to ketone, addition of 2-lithiothiazole to the latter, and transformation of the thiazole ring into the carboxyl group through an aldehyde intermediate. The other epimer was obtained by the same procedure and inverting the timing of phenyl and thiazolyl group addition. In both routes, the key step establishing the configuration of the quaternary carbon atom of the aliphatic chain was the highly stereoselective addition of the organometal to the ketone intermediate.
2. Synthesis of beta-D-Galactosyl Ceramide Methylene Isostere
Alessandro Dondoni, Daniela Perrone, Elisa Turturici J Org Chem. 1999 Jul 23;64(15):5557-5564. doi: 10.1021/jo990398l.
The methylene isostere of the glycosphingolipid beta-D-galactosyl N-palmitoyl C(18) ceramide has been synthesized by a linear reaction sequence starting from a beta-linked D-galactopyranosyl aldehyde. First, this sugar aldehyde was converted into a methylenephosphorane which in turn was coupled with N-Boc serinal acetonide. The double bond of the resulting olefin was reduced and the oxazolidine ring was cleaved and oxidized to give a C-glycosyl N-Boc alpha-amino butanal (three-carbon chain elongation). Then, an additional C(15) carbon chain was installed by addition of lithium 1-pentadecyne to the above glycosyl amino aldehyde. The syn/anti ratio (70:30) of the resulting mixture of amino alcohols was reversed (5:95) by an oxidation-reduction sequence to achieve the same stereochemistry as in the hydrophilic head of D-erythro-sphingosines. The major product was subjected to the reduction of the triple bond with LiAlH(4) to give the olefin with E geometry. Finally the N-amide group was installed by reaction with palmitoyl chloride and the O-benzyl protective groups of the sugar moiety were removed by treatment with lithium in liquid NH(3)-THF. The final product was characterized as the O-acetyl derivative.
