Total synthesis and NMR investigations of cylindramide.

Cylindramide (1) was built up from three components: a hydroxyornithine derivative 7, a tetrazolylsulfone 8, and a substituted pentalene subunit 9. Derivative 7 was prepared in a six-step reaction sequence involving the Wittig reaction and a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation starting from N-Boc-3-aminopropanal (12). Tetrazolylsulfone 8 was accessible in four steps from dioxinone 22. The synthesis of the pentalene fragment 9 started from cycloocta-1,5-diene 26, that was converted into enantiopure bicyclo[3.3.0]octanedione 29. The latter was functionalized to give derivative 9. The total synthesis was accomplished by inducing C-C bond formation by Sonogashira coupling of derivatives 9 and 7 followed by olefination with tetrazolylsulfone 8 under Julia-Kocienski conditions, macrocyclization, and subsequent Lacey-Dieckmann condensation to form the tetramic acid unit. As indicated by extensive 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic investigations (DQF-COSY, ROESY spectra), the stereochemistry of synthetic cylindramide (1) corresponds with that of the naturally occurring product. ROE data were used for molecular modeling of the lowest-energy structures for cylindramide.