A convergent approach using two key intermediates, segment A [a -L-alp
ha-hydroxy-beta-homoarginine-D-phenylalanine (Pro-hArg-D-Phe) tripepti
de] and segment B [a vinylogous L-tyrosine-L-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid
(vTyr-Dpr) dipeptide], was developed for the synthesis of cyclotheona
mide B (Scheme 1). The starting compound for the preparation of the hA
rg moiety 7, the predominant part of segment A, was N-alpha-(benzyloxy
carbonyl)-N-omega , N(omega)'bis(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)-l-arginine met
hyl ester (15, Scheme 2), which was converted into the aldehyde 16 and
subsequently homologated using [tris(methylthio)methyl]lithium as a c
arboxylic acid anion equivalent. Coupling with properly protected Pro
and D-Phe derivatives gave smoothly the desired Pro-hArg-D-Phe tripept
ide derivative 24. The key feature of segment B, i.e., the L-tyrosine-
derived alpha,beta-unsaturated gamma-amino acid 4, was prepared by a W
adsworth-Emmons olefination of the aldehyde 29 (Scheme 3) derived from
N-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl), O-tert-butyl-L-tyrosine methyl ester (28).
Selective N-(tert-butyloxycarbonyl) removal in the presence of the ar
yl tert-butyl ether present in the fully protected segment B, i.e., 32
, was achieved by treatment with trimethylsilyl triflate/2,6-lutidine
to give vTyr-Dpr dipeptide derivative 34 in quantitative yield. Coupli
ng of the key intermediates 24 and 34 using -(1H-benzotriazol-l-yl)-1,
1,3,3-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate (TBTU) afforded the protect
ed linear pentapeptide 35 in high yield (Scheme 4). Treatment of 35 wi
th Pd(PPh3)(4)/morpholine resulted in simultaneous removal of the C-te
rminal allyl group and the N-terminal allyloxycarbonyl group to yield
36. Ring closure was effected under dilution conditions by treatment w
ith TBTU/1-hydroxybenzotriazole/4-(dimethylamino and gave the protecte
d cyclopentapeptide 37 in 61% yield. Oxidation of the hydroxyl group w
ith Dess-Rlartin periodinane (24 h, 40 degrees C) in the presence of t
ert-butyl alcohol gave 38, which was then subjected to O,N-deprotectio
n with trifluoroacetic acid/thioanisole. Subsequent HPLC purification
afforded cyclotheonamide B in an overall yield of 1.8% in 17 steps.