Systematic Study of Heteroarene Stacking Using a Congeneric Set of Molecular Glues for Procaspase-6.

Heteroaromatic stacking interactions are important in drug binding, supramolecular chemistry, and materials science, making protein-ligand model systems of these interactions of considerable interest. Here we studied 30 congeneric ligands that each present a distinct heteroarene for stacking between tyrosine residues at the dimer interface of procaspase-6. Complex X-ray crystal structures of 10 analogs showed that stacking geometries were well conserved, while high-accuracy computations showed that heteroarene stacking energy was well correlated with predicted overall ligand binding energies. Empirically determined KD values in this system thus provide a useful measure of heteroarene stacking with tyrosine. Stacking energies are discussed in the context of torsional strain, the number and positioning of heteroatoms, tautomeric state, and coaxial orientation of heteroarene in the stack. Overall, this study provides an extensive data set of empirical and high-level computed binding energies in a versatile new protein-ligand system amenable to studies of other intermolecular interactions.

Total Synthesis of (±)-Corymine.

The first total synthesis of the hexacyclic indole alkaloid (±)-corymine is described. Starting from the readily available N-protected tryptamine, the title compound was achieved in 21 steps in 3.4 % overall yield. Key steps of the synthesis include: a) the addition of a malonate to a 3-bromooxindole to afford 3,3-disubstituted oxindole, b) the formation of a 12-membered cyclic enol ether by intramolecular O-propargylation, immediately followed by propargyl Claisen rearrangement to provide the α-allenyl ketone stereospecifically, c) DMDO oxidation to install a hydroxy group in a highly stereoselective manner, and d) the SmI2 -mediated reductive C-O bond cleavage to remove the α-keto carboxyl group.

Total Synthesis of Notoamides†F, I, and R and Sclerotiamide.

The total synthesis of the natural indole alkaloids (+)-notoamide F, I, and R and (-)-sclerotiamide is described. The four heptacyclic compounds were synthesized in 10-12 steps in a convergent and highly stereoselective manner from the readily available Seebach acetal. Key steps of the synthesis include a stereoselective oxidative aza-Prins cyclization to construct the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane, and a cobalt-catalyzed radical cycloisomerization to create the cyclohexenyl ring.

Total synthesis of (+)-decursivine.

The first asymmetric synthesis of natural indole alkaloid (+)-decursivine was accomplished. The key step involves the PIFA-mediated intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition of 5-hydroxytryptophan with a substituted cinnamamide in a highly diastereoselective manner.

"Ligand-free" CuI-catalyzed highly efficient intramolecular S-vinylation of thiols with vinyl chlorides and bromides.

With CuI as the catalyst and K(3)PO(4) x 3 H(2)O as the base, highly efficient intramolecular S-vinylation of thiols with vinyl chlorides or bromides was successfully implemented without the help of an additional ligand. Moreover, the competition experiments revealed that the 4-exo cyclization is fundamentally preferred over other modes (5-exo, 6-exo, and 6-endo) of cyclization.