Okadaic acid: the archetypal serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitor.

As the first recognized member of the "okadaic acid class" of phosphatase inhibitors, the marine natural product okadaic acid is perhaps the most well-known member of a diverse array of secondary metabolites that have emerged as valuable probes for studying the roles of various cellular protein serine/threonine phosphatases. This review provides a historical perspective on the role that okadaic acid has played in stimulating a broad spectrum of modern scientific research as a result of the natural product's ability to bind to and inhibit important classes of protein serine / threonine phosphatases. The relationships between the structure and biological activities of okadaic acid are briefly reviewed, as well as the structural information regarding the particular cellular receptors protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A. Laboratory syntheses of okadaic acid and its analogs are thoroughly reviewed. Finally, an interpretation of the critical contacts observed between okadaic acid and PP1 by X-ray crystallography is provided, and specific molecular recognition hypotheses that are testable via the synthesis and assay of non-natural analogs of okadaic acid are suggested.

Expedient access to the okadaic acid architecture: a novel synthesis of the C1-C27 domain.

A newly designed synthetic entry to the C1-C27 domain of okadaic acid has been developed. This incorporates substantial improvements in the preparations of the key okadaic acid building blocks representing the C3-C8, C9-C14, and C16-C27 portions. The synthesis of the C3-C8 lactone used (R)-glycidol as the origin of the C4 stereogenic center and featured a late-stage optional incorporation of the C7 hydroxyl group. The complementary C9-C14 fragment was synthesized in a concise route from (R)-3-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-2-methylpropanal and propargyl bromide. Assembly of the C3-C14 spiroketal-containing intermediate from the constitutent fragments revealed a dramatic effect of C7 functionalization upon spiroketalization efficiency. In contrast, both (9E)- and (9Z)-enones converged readily to the C8 spiroketal upon treatment with acid. Modifications to the central C16-C27 fragment of okadaic acid included the early replacement of benzylic protecting groups by more suitable functionalities to facilitate both the generation of the C15-C27 intermediate and the deprotection of the final products. These modular building blocks were deployed for the synthesis of the C1-C27 scaffold of 7-deoxyokadaic acid. This work demonstrates improvements in the formation of versatile okadaic acid intermediates, as well as a reordering of fragment couplings. This alternative order of coupling was designed to promote the late stage incorporation of nonnatural lipophilic extensions from the C27 terminus.

Importance of the C28-C38 hydrophobic domain of okadaic acid for potent inhibition of protein serine-threonine phosphatases 1 and 2A.

Okadaic acid is a potent inhibitor of select serine/threonine protein phosphatases. The importance of the C28-C38 hydrophobic domain of okadaic acid for inhibition of PP1 and PP2A was investigated. The hydrophobic domain is required but not sufficient for potent inhibition, and it also contributes to differential inhibition between PP1 and PP2A.

Synthetic studies toward the C5-C20 domain of the azaspiracids.

[structure: see text]. An approach toward the C5-C20 THF-fused trioxadispiroketal portion of the azaspiracids is reported. The highly substituted azaspiracid D ring (C16-C19) was prepared by the one-pot conversion of a tetraol into a tetrahydrofuran. Efforts to establish the C10 and C13 spiroketal centers via an oxonium-initiated bis-spiroketalization under both kinetic and thermodynamic conditions have yielded the (10R,13S)-trioxadispiroketal 19 as the major product, which is diastereomeric with the (10R,13R) relative configuration assigned to the azaspiracids.

Abbreviated synthesis of the C3-C14 (substituted 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undec-3-ene) system of okadaic acid.

[formula: see text] Described is a novel, concise, and flexible synthesis of the C3-C14 portion of okadaic acid. A substituted valerolactone (C3-C8) was prepared in three steps and alpha-hydroxylated using Davis' oxaziridine. Conjugate addition of dimethylcuprate upon ynones derived from the C3-C8 lactones followed by intramolecular ketalization provided the C3-C14 fragment and revealed a significant role of the C7 alpha'-ketone substituent upon the efficiency of spiroketalization.