The broad aim of this research program continues to be the discovery and application of new strategies in synthetic organic chemistry which can facilitate the acquisition of bioactive molecules through laboratory synthesis. The particular chemical structures towards which this synthetic effort is directed are naturally occurring macrocyclic lactones (macrolides), all of which possess striking biological properties of potential chemotherapeutic value. The specific targets identified for synthesis are (a) rhizoxin, a 16-membered macrolide, with promising anticancer activity; (b) rapamycin, a 29-membered macrolide, with powerful immunosuppressant properties; (c) antillatoxin, a neurotoxic substance which exhibits potent effects on the central nervous system in fish; (d) polycavernoside A, a marine macrolide which has been found to have an effect on the central nervous system in humans similar to ciguatera; (e) epothilone B, a recently discovered 16-membered macrolide with remarkable antitumor activity, especially against taxol-resistant cell lines; (f) cochleamycin A, a highly unusual lactone which exhibits antileukemic properties; and (g) phorboxazole A, a 21-membered macrolactone with extremely potent in-vitro activity against tumor cell lines. Plans are presented for synthesis of each of these compounds in which construction of subunits sets the stage for their final assembly into the complete macrolide. A necessary prerequisite for chemical synthesis at this level of complexity is a practical design which leads to implementation of efficient convergent routes to the target. These pathways, regardless of whether they are successful, must also serve as paradigms for accessing other potentially useful chemotherapeutic agents of equal or greater complexity.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01GM050574-24A1
Application #
2839804
Study Section
Medicinal Chemistry Study Section (MCHA)
Project Start
1993-12-01
Project End
2003-03-31
Budget Start
1999-04-01
Budget End
2000-03-31
Support Year
24
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Oregon State University
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
053599908
City
Corvallis
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97339
White, James D; Li, Yang; Kim, Jungchul et al. (2015) Cyclobutane Synthesis and Fragmentation. A Cascade Route to the Lycopodium Alkaloid (-)-Huperzine A. J Org Chem 80:11806-17
Avery, Mitchell A; Choudhry, Satish C; Dhingra, Om Prakash et al. (2014) Total synthesis of macrodiolide ionophores aplasmomycin A and boromycin via double ring contraction. Org Biomol Chem 12:9116-32
Kuntiyong, Punlop; Lee, Tae Hee; Kranemann, Christian L et al. (2012) Total synthesis of the marine toxin phorboxazole A using palladium(II)-mediated intramolecular alkoxycarbonylation for tetrahydropyran synthesis. Org Biomol Chem 10:7884-99
White, James D; Jeffrey, Scott C (2009) Synthesis of the northern sector (C8-C19) of rapamycin via Chan rearrangement and oxidation of an alpha-acyloxyacetate. Tetrahedron 35:6642-6647
White, James D; Kuntiyong, Punlop; Lee, Tae Hee (2006) Total synthesis of phorboxazole a. 1. Preparation of four subunits. Org Lett 8:6039-42
White, James D; Smits, Helmars; Hamel, Ernest (2006) Synthesis of cryptothilone 1, the first cryptophycin-epothilone hybrid. Org Lett 8:3947-50
White, James D; Lee, Tae Hee; Kuntiyong, Punlop (2006) Total synthesis of phorboxazole A. 2. Assembly of subunits and completion of the synthesis. Org Lett 8:6043-6
Blakemore, Paul R; Browder, Cindy C; Hong, Jian et al. (2005) Total synthesis of polycavernoside A, a lethal toxin of the red alga Polycavernosa tsudai. J Org Chem 70:5449-60
White, James D; Smits, Helmars (2005) Application of the Dotz reaction to construction of a major portion of the ansa macrocycle (-)-kendomycin. Org Lett 7:235-8
White, James D; Xu, Qing; Lee, Chang-Sun et al. (2004) Total synthesis and biological evaluation of +-kalkitoxin, a cytotoxic metabolite of the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. Org Biomol Chem 2:2092-102

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