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The antimalarial candidate MMV008138 (1a) is of particular interest because its target enzyme (IspD) is absent in human. To achieve higher potency, and to probe for steric demand, a series of analogs of 1a were prepared that featured methyl-substitution of the B- and C-rings, as well as ring-chain transformations. X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and calculation were used to study the effects of these modifications on the conformation of the C-ring and orientation of the D-ring. Unfortunately, all the B- and C-ring analogs explored lost in vitro antimalarial activity. The possible role of steric effects and conformational changes on target engagement are discussed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The total synthesis of putative penasulfate A was effectively achieved by a convergent strategy with a longest linear sequence of 14 steps and overall yield of 8.6%. The highlights of our strategy involved an E -selective olefin cross-metathesis, Suzuki cross-coupling, and a copper(I)-catalyzed coupling reaction.

A more sustainable process for the synthesis of the long-acting muscarinic acetylcholine antagonist umeclidinium bromide is described. Specifically, we report the synthesis of ethyl 1-(2-chloroethyl)-4-piperidinecarboxylate, a key intermediate in the preparation of umeclidinium bromide, in good yields using triethylamine, as well as the identification and characterization of the by-product formed in this reaction. This new method of synthesis leads to an improvement in yield over that of previously reported protocols using potassium carbonate as base (65.6 % versus 38.6 %). Moreover, in the final synthetic step of the process to obtain umeclidinium bromide, we were able to replace the use of toxic solvents (acetonitrile/chloroform) with water. The use of this green solvent allowed precipitation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from the reaction medium with high purity and in high yield. Overall, we have developed a more efficient and environmentally friendly process for the synthesis of the umeclidinium bromide API with a higher overall yield (37.8 % versus previously reported overall yield of 9.7 %)., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a membrane-spanning zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the reversible consumption of CO 2 and water to form H + + HCO 3 - . Many human cancers upregulate CAIX to help control the pH in their hypoxic microenvironments. The consequent overexpression of CAIX on malignant cells and low expression on normal tissues render CAIX a particularly attractive target for small molecule inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and ligand-targeted drugs. In this study, CAIX-targeted fluorescent reporter molecules were initially exploited to investigate CAIX-specific binding to multiple cancer cell lines, where they were shown to display potent and selective binding to CAIX positive cells. A small molecule CAIX-targeted tubulysin B conjugate was then synthesized and examined for its ability to kill CAIX-expressing tumor cells in vitro. Potent therapeutic conjugates were subsequently tested in vivo and demonstrated to eliminate solid human tumor xenografts in murine tumor models without exhibiting overt signs of toxicity. Because most solid tumors contain hypoxic regions where CAIX is overexpressed, development of a method to selectively deliver drugs to these hypoxic regions could aid in the therapy of otherwise difficult to treat tumors.

A stereodivergent strategy was devised to obtain enantiopure cis and trans 5-aminopipecolic acids (5-APAs) in suitably protected forms to be employed in peptide synthesis as conformationally constrained α- and δ-amino acids. The cis isomer was used as a δ-amino acid to construct a cyclic RGD-containing peptidomimetic, the ability of which to compete with biotinylated vitronectin for binding with the isolated αVβ3 integrin was measured (IC50 = 4.2 ± 0.9 nM). A complete 1H NMR and computational conformational analysis was performed to elucidate the reasons for the high affinity of this cyclic peptidomimetic in comparison with cilengitide.

The conformational analysis of linear and cyclic peptides incorporating 2,3-methanopipecolic acids (or Cyclopropane Pipecolic Acids, CPAs) as conformationally constrained α-amino acids is reported. Compared to peptides containing proline or pipecolic acid, a striking increase of the cis isomer (42-92%) around the CPA amide bond is observed, both in water and organic solvents, when these unnatural amino acids are embodied in linear amino acid sequences. The rotational barrier around the same bond in water was calculated, giving results comparable to that for the prolyl cis/trans isomerization. In organic solvents, CPAs at the i + 2 position of a peptide induce the formation of a type VIa β-turn secondary structure. When incorporated into a cyclic peptide, the cis geometry around the 2,3-methanopipecolic amide bond still prevails and, in the example studied herein (a cyclic RGD-containing ligand of α V β 3 integrin mimicking Cilengitide), conservation of the backbone geometry and side chain spatial orientation of the native peptide is also found. Given the importance of the proline cis/trans isomerism in many biological processes, CPAs could be useful as proline mimetics for probing protein-ligand interactions and generating novel bioactive compounds.

The FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) is a key regulator of stress hormone receptors and an established risk factor for stress-related disorders. Drug development for FKBP51 has been impaired by the structurally similar but functionally opposing homologue FKBP52. High selectivity between FKBP51 and FKBP52 can be achieved by ligands that stabilize a recently discovered FKBP51-favoring conformation. However, drug-like parameters for these ligands remained unfavorable. In the present study, we replaced the potentially labile pipecolic ester group of previous FKBP51 ligands by various low molecular weight amides. This resulted in the first series of pipecolic acid amides, which had much lower molecular weights without affecting FKBP51 selectivity. We discovered a geminally substituted cyclopentyl amide as a preferred FKBP51-binding motif and elucidated its binding mode to provide a new lead structure for future drug optimization.

An efficient synthesis of deoxygalactonojirimycin and deoxyaltronojirimycin through the use of proline catalyzed asymmetric α-aminoxylation of a higher homologue of Garner's aldehyde, derived from l-aspartic acid, is reported. The method is also used for a highly diastereoselective synthesis of the N-Boc derivative of (2S,3S)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid. The configuration of the proline catalyst used for the asymmetric aminoxylation step ultimately controls the absolute configuration of three adjacent stereogenic centers in the final products.

β-Amino acids are routinely incorporated into peptidic drugs to increase their stability and to incur conformational biases. However, the synthesis of highly substituted β-amino acids still represents a great challenge. A new approach to their preparation is reported involving a Vilsmeier-Haack reaction with nonaromatic carbon nucleophiles. The highly challenging preparation of contiguous tertiary and all-carbon quaternary centers was successfully used to generate several β(2,2,3)-amino esters, such as derivatives of homoproline, homoalanine, and homopipecolinic esters.

The synthesis and evaluation of substituted cyclopropane pipecolic acids (CPA) as conformationally restricted templates for linear and cyclic peptidomimetics is reported. A variety of differently substituted (poly)hydroxy- and amino-2-azabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane-1-carboxylic acids were prepared by means of the Pd-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation of suitably functionalized lactam-derived enol phosphates, followed by OH-directed cyclopropanation. CPAs were successfully introduced into a linear peptide sequence to assess the cis/trans isomerism about the pipecolic acid peptide bond, and in a cyclic peptidomimetic that bore the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence, which displayed nanomolar activity as antagonist of the αvβ3 integrin in M21 human melanoma cells. Thus, CPAs appear to be suitable for the generation of novel peptidomimetics for drug discovery., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Molecules of (S)-6-oxo-1-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)piperidine-2-carboxylic acid, C11H13NO3S, crystallize as single enantiomers in the space group P21 and the thiophene ring is disordered over two positions, while (S)-6-oxo-1-(thiophen-3-ylmethyl)piperidine-2-carboxylic acid, C11H13NO3S, crystallizes as a single enantiomer in the space group P212121. Their absolute configurations were confirmed by anomalous dispersion effects in diffraction measurements on the crystals. The molecules of each compound are linked by a combination of strong O-H...O hydrogen bonds and weak C-H...O interactions, resulting in two- and three-dimensional networks, respectively, in the crystal structures.

Pipecolic acid naturally occurs in microorganisms, plants, and animals, where it plays many roles, including the interactions between these organisms, and is a key constituent of many natural and synthetic bioactive molecules. This article provides a review of current knowledge on the natural occurrence of pipecolic acid and the known and potential significance of its L- and D-enantiomers in different scientific disciplines. Knowledge gaps with perspectives for future research identified within this article include the roles of the L- versus the D-enantiomer of pipecolic acid in plant resistance, nutrient acquisition, and decontamination of polluted soils, as well as rhizosphere ecology and medical issues., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A divergent asymmetric synthesis of the titled iminosugars has been formulated starting from a chiral homoallyl alcohol as the versatile intermediate. The homoallyl alcohol was prepared by a highly diastereoselective Barbier reaction on a d-glucose-derived aldehyde. The protection of its hydroxyl function followed by reductive ozonolysis of the olefin and a subsequent one-pot three-step protocol involving a Staudinger reaction, reductive amination, and benzyloxy carbonyl protection yielded an important bicyclic furanopiperidine derivative. This was converted to the target compounds by following standard reactions. Among the synthesized compounds, 4-epi-fagomine (2b) was the best β-galactosidase inhibitor, and it also prevented LPS-mediated activation of Raw 264.7 macrophage cells. Its congener, 3,4-dihydroxypipecolic acid (4b) also showed similar trends in its cytokine- and enzyme-inhibitory properties at a low concentration (10 μM) but was proinflammatory at higher concentrations. The bicyclic compound dihydroxyindolizidine (21) reduced the proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β and TNF-α) levels in the LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells without showing any enzyme-inhibition activity.

(R)-α-Aminoadipic acid is a readily available enantiomerically pure starting material for the synthesis of (R)-pipecolic acid and its derivatives. Sonogashira or Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of an N-formyl pipecolate-derived vinyl bromide furnish 6-alkynyl or aryl derivatives. Reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride and subsequent N-deformylation provide 6-alkynyl substituted (R)-pipecolic acid derivatives, valuable building blocks for amino acid and peptide chemistry.

The Tup fragments of tubulysins were synthesized with a tandem reaction as the key step, and unexpected diastereoselectivity was observed in the first Grignard addition stage. The coupling of the enolate of a thiazolyl ketone with chiral sulfinimines furnished the backbone of the Tuv fragment with over 100:1 d.r. and high yield. Thus, tubulysin U and C-4 epi-tubulysin U were prepared in a highly selective and efficient manner. The results of the MTT assay furthermore indicated that C-4 epi-tubulysin U maintained significant growth inhibition activities against several cancer cell lines., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Tubulysins are cytotoxic natural products with promising anti-cancer properties, originally isolated from myxobacterial cultures. Structurally, tubulysins are tetrapeptides, incorporating three unusual (Mep, Tuv and Tup) and one proteinogenic amino acid (Ile). Here we describe the synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of novel tubulysin U and V analogues, with variations in the central Tuv fragment, which is known to be of paramount importance for tubulysins' potency and hence cytotoxicity, but has seldom been modified in previous studies. Specifically, we replaced the natural iso-propyl and acetoxy functionalities with other structurally related groups. In general, the new analogues showed much lower potency relative to native tubulysin U. However, one of the synthetic analogues (1f) having a MOM function replacing the acetyl group exhibited a 22 nM IC50 on the HT-29 cell line which is comparable to the IC(50) displayed by tubulysin U (3.8 nM). Furthermore, the synthetic methodology reported herein was found to be flexible enough to deliver different core-modified tubulysin analogues and hence may be regarded as a scalable and convenient strategy for the chemical generation of novel tubulysin analogues.

Pipecolidepsin A is a head-to-side-chain cyclodepsipeptide isolated from the marine sponge Homophymia lamellosa. This compound shows relevant cytotoxic activity in three human tumour cell lines and has unique structural features, with an abundance of non-proteinogenic residues, including several intriguing amino acids. Although the moieties present in the structure show high synthetic difficulty, the cornerstone is constituted by the unprecedented and highly hindered γ-branched β-hydroxy-α-amino acid D-allo-(2R,3R,4R)-2-amino-3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylhexanoic acid (AHDMHA) residue, placed at the branching ester position and surrounded by the four demanding residues L-(2S,3S,4R)-3,4-dimethylglutamine, (2R,3R,4S)-4,7-diamino-2,3-dihydroxy-7-oxoheptanoic acid, D-allo-Thr and L-pipecolic acid. Here we describe the first total synthesis of a D-allo-AHDMHA-containing peptide, pipecolidepsin A, thus allowing chemical structure validation of the natural product and providing a robust synthetic strategy to access other members of the relevant head-to-side-chain family in a straightforward manner.

A base-mediated 6-endo-trig cyclization of readily accessible enone-derived α-amino acids has been developed for the direct synthesis of novel 2,6-cis-6-substituted-4-oxo-L-pipecolic acids. A range of aliphatic and aryl side chains were tolerated by this mild procedure to give the target compounds in good overall yields. Molecular modeling of the 6-endo-trig cyclization allowed some insight as to how these compounds were formed, with the enolate intermediate generated via an equilibrium process, followed by irreversible tautomerization/neutralization providing the driving force for product formation. Stereoselective reduction and deprotection of the resulting 2,6-cis-6-substituted 4-oxo-l-pipecolic acids to the corresponding 4-hydroxy-L-pipecolic acids was also performed.

A newly developed π-allylpalladium with a (-)-β-pinene framework and an isobutyl side chain catalyzed the enantioselective allylation of imines in good yields and enantioselectivities (20 examples, up to 98% ee). An efficient enantioselective synthesis of the (R)-α-propyl piperonylamine part of DMP 777, a human leukocyte elastase inhibitor and (R)-pipecolic acid have been achieved as a useful application of this methodology.

This short perspective reports on the synthesis and applications of a class of chiral amino carbonyl compounds, masked oxo-sulfinamides where the amine is protected with an N-sulfinyl moiety and the carbonyl group is protected as the ketal or 1,3-dithiane. These polyfunctionalized chiral building blocks are prepared by addition of organometallic reagents to masked oxo-sulfinimines (N-sulfinyl imines) or the addition of oxo-organometallic reagents and lithio-1,3-dithianes to sulfinimines. Because unmasking of the amino and carbonyl groups results in cyclic imines, these chiral building blocks are particularly useful for the asymmetric synthesis of functionalized nitrogen heterocycles, including prolines, pipecolic acids, pyrrolidines, homotropinones, tropinones, and tropane alkaloids such as cocaine and C-1 cocaine analogues.

FK506-binding proteins (FKBP) 51 and 52 are cochaperones that modulate the signal transduction of steroid hormone receptors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding FKBP51 have been associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Rapamycin and FK506 are two macrocyclic natural products, which tightly bind to most FKBP family members, including FKBP51 and FKBP52. A bioisosteric replacement of the α-ketoamide moiety of rapamycin and FK506 with a sulfonamide was envisaged with the retention of the conserved hydrogen bonds. A focused solid support-based synthesis protocol was developed, which led to ligands with submicromolar affinity for FKBP51 and FKBP52. The molecular binding mode for one sulfonamide analogue was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

Enantiomeric syntheses of (-)-homopipecolic acid and (-)-pelletierine have been achieved by chiral resolution of tropanol followed by Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. The methodology provides a practical route for the synthesis of optically pure piperidines.

The preparation of optically pure quaternary piperidines, both fluorinated and non-fluorinated, has been achieved from a chiral imino lactone derived from (R)-phenylglycinol. In the case of the fluorinated derivatives, the addition of (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF(3)) followed by iodoamination and migration of the CF(3) group allowed access to four derivatives of α-(trifluoromethyl)pipecolic acid. A theoretical study of the CF(3)-group rearrangement has been carried out to help establish the reaction mechanism of this uncommon transformation. Moreover, a route to trifluoromethyl-substituted iminosugars was also developed through the diastereoselective dihydroxylation of suitable synthetic intermediates. Conversely, alkylation of the starting substrate and subsequent cross-metathesis and aza-Michael reactions led to α-alkyl derivatives of the target compounds., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The γ-butenolide obtained from an organocatalyzed, direct vinylogous aldol reaction of γ-crotonolactone and benzaldehyde serves as the key starting material in the expedient synthesis of a 3-hydroxy-2-phenyl piperidine intermediate which is converted to the target 2,3-disubstituted piperidines.

Tubuylsins are extremely potent cytotoxic agents which inhibit tubulin polymerization and lead to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Tubulysins have been isolated from fermentation mixtures and have been chemically synthesized; however, these efforts have been hampered by poor yields and arduous purifications. In contrast, treatment of a mixture of natural tubulysins A, B, C, G, and I, obtained from a fermentation batch with trifluoroacetic acid results in the formation of a single N-acyliminium ion. Subsequent addition of butyric, isopentyl, or acetic acid results in the formation of tubulysin B, A, or I, respectively, as a single species. New tubulysin analogs can be formed upon treatment of the acyliminium ion with other nucleophiles such as alcohols, thiols, and nitriles, resulting in corresponding N-acyl-N,O-acetals, N-acyl-N,S-thioacetals, and N,N'-diacyl-aminals. Carbon-carbon bond formation is also possible with a modification of this protocol. The cytotoxicies of the natural tubulysins and tubulysin analogs synthesized by this method were evaluated on KB cells., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The first stereoselective synthesis of 2,6-trans-6-substituted-4-oxo-L-pipecolic acids using a tandem reductive amination/6-endo-trig cyclisation process is described. The sequential reduction and cyclisation mediated by sodium cyanoborohydride allowed the preparation of a series of highly functionalised 6-alkyl and 6-aryl analogues., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

The macrophage infectivity potentiator (MIP) protein is a major virulence factor of Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease. MIP belongs to the FK506-binding proteins (FKBP) and is necessary for optimal intracellular survival and lung tissue dissemination of L. pneumophila. We aimed to identify new small-molecule inhibitors of MIP by starting from known FKBP12 ligands. Computational analysis, synthesis, and biological testing of pipecolic acid derivatives revealed a promising scaffold for new MIP inhibitors.

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of fully protected (2S,4R)-4-methylpipecolic acid has been developed. The synthesis was achieved by initial asymmetric α-alkylation of glycine with a chiral iodide, affording the linear precursor as a single stereoisomer. Subsequent aldehyde formation using OsO(4)/NaIO(4) followed by immediate intramolecular cyclization afforded an enamine that was then subjected to hydrogenation to give the final compound in 23% yield over 10 steps.

Catalytic intramolecular hydroamination of dithioketene acetals was developed for the synthesis of cyclic amino acid derivatives. Triggered by the addition of a catalytical amount of n-BuLi, the reaction proceeds to give proline and pipecolic acid derivatives in excellent yields and diastereoselectivity.

The first stereoselective synthesis of (2S,3R,6S)-6-methyl-3-hydroxy-piperidine-2-carboxylic acid (-)-6 and (2R,3R,6S)-6-methyl-(2-hydroxymethyl)-piperidine-3-ol (+)-7 was achieved starting from readily available d-glucose in 14 steps with 17% overall yield for both the compounds. The key feature of the present strategy includes the Wittig-olefination for the preparation of required conjugated keto-azide 9 and construction of 2,3,6-trisubstituted piperidine skeleton 11 by applying intramolecular reductive cyclization of conjugated keto-azide intermediate. The glycosidase inhibitory activity of compounds 6 and 7 towards several glycosidases has been evaluated., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The total syntheses of tetrapeptides tubulysins D (1 b), U (1 c), and V (1 d), which are potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors, are described. The synthesis of Tuv (2), an unusual amino acid constituent of tubulysins, includes an 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of chiral nitrone D-6 derived from D-gulose with N-acryloyl camphor sultam (-)-9 employing the double asymmetric induction, whereas the synthesis of Tup (20), another unusual amino acid, involves a stereoselective Evans aldol reaction of (Z)-boron enolate generated from (S)-4-isopropyl-3-propionyl-2-oxazolidinone with N-protected phenylalaninal and a subsequent Barton deoxygenation protocol. We accomplished the total syntheses of tubulysins U (1 c) and V (1 d) by using these methodologies, in which the isoxazolidine ring was used as the effective protective group for γ-amido alcohol functionality. Furthermore, to understand the structure-activity relationship of tubulysins, we synthesized tubulysin D (1 b) and cyclo-tubulysin D (1 e) from 2-Me and 20, and ent-tubulysin D (ent-1 d) from ent-2-Me and ent-20, respectively. The preliminary results regarding their biological activities are also reported., (Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The Pipecolic linker is a new highly versatile handle which immobilizes on solid support through a carboxylic acid function a wide range of amines, alcohols, and hydrazines. The anchoring step on pipecolic resin is very easy and efficient, and compounds are released with high purities upon acidic treatment. During this treatment, an oxazolonium intermediate is hydrolyzed, yielding the cleavage of ester or amide bond and the release of free carboxylic acid of the starting linker. In this study, we report the possibility of recycling the pipecolic resin after the use of several trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) cleavage cocktails. We demonstrate that it can be reused up to five times without significant loading decrease.

The catalytic dynamic resolution (CDR) of rac-2-lithio-N-Boc-piperidine using chiral ligand 8 or its diastereomer 9 in the presence of TMEDA has led to the highly enantioselective syntheses of both enantiomers of 2-substituted piperidines using a wide range of electrophiles. The CDR has been applied to the synthesis of (R)- and (S)-pipecolic acid derivatives, (+)-beta-conhydrine, (S)-(+)-pelletierine, and (S)-(-)-ropivacaine and the formal synthesis of (-)-lasubine II and (+)-cermizine C.

New syntheses of (-)-deoxoprosophylline, (+)-2-epi-deoxoprosopinine, and (2R,3R)- and (2R,3S)-3-hydroxypipecolic acids are reported. Utilization of the chiral functionalities of Perlin aldehydes, derived from 3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl glycals, has been done along with chemoselective saturation of olefins and reductive aminations as key steps.

Stereoselective syntheses of L-pipecolic acid and (2S,3S)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid were achieved from a chiral N-imino-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydropyridine intermediate. The 3-hydroxy substituent of the latter amino acid was introduced by hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of singlet oxygen with the 1,2-dihydropyridine.

Anodic olefin coupling reactions using a tosylamine trapping group have been studied. The cyclizations are favored by the use of a less-polar radical cation and more basic reaction conditions. The most significant factor for obtaining good yields of cyclic product is the use of the more basic reaction conditions. However, a number of factors including the nature of both the solvent and the electrolyte used can influence the yield of the cyclizations. The cyclizations allow for the rapid synthesis of both substituted proline and pipecolic acid type derivatives.

An unprecedented cascade of reactions after acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of tert-butyl (2S,5S)-2-tert-butyl-5-(2-fluoroallyl)-3-methyl-4-oxoimidazolidine-1-carboxylate 3a leading to pipecolic acid derivative 5 is presented. The vinylfluoro group is shown to be an acetonyl cation equivalent under acidic conditions. Interestingly, vinylchloro and vinylbromo groups do not show such transformation under the same conditions. The pipecolic acid derivative 5 produced in this way is further used to synthesize (2R,4R,6S)-6-tert-butyl-4-hydroxypiperidine-2-carboxylic acid 9.

The first total synthesis of tubulysin B is described. The aziridine route to tubuphenylalanine (Tup) of the tubulysin D/U-series could not be transferred to the synthesis of tubutyrosine (blue moiety). Therefore, tubutyrosine (Tut) was synthesized by a Wittig olefination/diastereoselective catalytic reduction sequence. Interestingly, the C-2 epimer of tubulysin B has a cytotoxic activity almost identical to the natural diastereomer.

Practical syntheses of 2-azabicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-1-carboxylic (2,4-methanopipecolic), 2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1-carboxylic (2,5-ethanopipecolic), and 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-1-carboxylic (2,6-propanopipecolic) acids are reported. The synthetic schemes are short (five, seven, and five steps, respectively) and result in reasonably high yields of the title compounds. The key step in the syntheses is the tandem Strecker reaction and intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization of ketones possessing a leaving group at the delta-position.

A stereoselective total synthesis of the cytotoxic natural products tubulysin U, tubulysin V, and its unnatural epimer epi-tubulysin V, is reported. Simplified analogues containing N,N-dimethyl-D-alanine as a replacement for the N-terminal N-Me-pipecolinic acid residue of the tubulysins are also disclosed. Biological evaluation of these natural products and analogues provided key information with regard to structural and stereochemical requirements for antiproliferative activity and tubulin polymerization inhibition.

A new conformationally constrained analogue of glutamic acid has been synthesized efficiently in seven steps from a chiral 2-alkyl-4-piperidone. The synthesis is based on (a) the unprecedented asymmetric one-carbon homologation of the ketone controlled by the size of the N-substituent and (b) the appropriate manipulation of substituents at positions 2 and 4 of the piperidine ring, a step that involves two independent oxidation processes.

Asymmetric synthesis of 4- and 5-substituted pipecolic esters was achieved by the sequence of allylation, ring-closing metathesis, and palladium-catalyzed formate reduction.

We have synthesized 3-hydroxy- and 3,4,5-trihydroxypipecolic acid derivatives corresponding to 5-aza derivatives of uronic acids and evaluated their inhibitory activities against various glycosidases including beta-glucuronidase. Compounds 4 and 5 were chosen as common intermediates for the synthesis of 3,4,5-trihydroxypipecolic acids and 3-hydroxypipecolic acids as well as for 3-hydroxybaikiain, a unique natural product isolated from a toxic mushroom. Cross aldol reaction of N-Boc-allylglycine derivative with acrolein followed by the ring-closing metathesis gave 4 and 5 as a mixture of diastereomers which could be separated by silica gel column chromatography. By employing lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution, the synthesis of both L- and D-isomers of 3,4,5-trihydroxy- and 3-hydroxypipecolic acids was achieved. None of the compounds tested showed inhibitory activity against alpha- and beta-glucosidases. On the other hand, L-23 and L-29 were found to have potent inhibitory activity against beta-glucuronidase. In addition, it is interesting that some uronic-type azasugar derivatives showed moderate inhibitory activities against beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase.

An improved protocol for the construction of enantioenriched pyrrolidine, indoline, and piperidine rings using an organocatalyzed, intramolecular heteroatom Michael addition is described. Application to the enantioselective synthesis of homoproline, homopipecolic acid, and pelletierine has been accomplished.

The first chiron approach from d-glucose for the total synthesis of (2 S,3 R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid (-)-1a and (2R,3R)-3-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethylpiperidine (-)-2a is reported. The synthetic pathway involves conversion of d-glucose into 3-azidopentodialdose (5) followed by the Wittig olefination and reduction to give the piperidine ring skeleton (8) with a sugar appendage that on cleavage of an anomeric carbon followed by oxidation gives (-)-1a which on reduction affords (-)-2a.

The asymmetric synthesis of (2R,3R)-3-methyl-3-hydroxypipecolic acid, a key intermediate in the synthesis of dual MMP-13/aggrecanase inhibitors, is described. The title compound is prepared in seven steps with an overall yield of 41% starting from geraniol. Key steps in the synthesis include Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, which establishes the chiral centers, and a one-pot oxidative olefin cleavage/reductive amination sequence that closes the piperidine ring.

A highly practicable synthesis of both enantiomers of 3-hydroxypipecolic acid derivatives 1, 2, 3, 4 is described. Screening of these molecules for glycosidase inhibition has been examined. Compound 3 was shown to be a potent inhibitor of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase as well as Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase.

Two different stereocontrolled accesses to new 4-hydroxypipecolic acid analogues with a bicyclic beta-lactam structure have been developed by using intramolecular reductive amination or allenic hydroamination reactions in 2-azetidinone-tethered azides. The access to the cyclization precursors was achieved from 3-azido-4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehyde via metal-mediated carbonyl-allenylation in aqueous environment or by organocatalytic direct aldol reaction. The tin hydride-promoted cyclization of the 2-azetidinone-tethered azidoallene is totally regioselective for the central allenic carbon providing a fused piperidine.

The complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments are reported for the antithrombotic (21R)- and (21S)-argatroban by 1D and 2D NMR experiments (HSQC, HMBC, NOESY and 1H--1H COSY). Some well-resolved signals could be used for an accurate measurement of the diastereomeric composition of argatroban., (Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This chapter derives its inspiration from the challenges presented to total synthesis chemists, by a particular group of macrocyclic pipecolic acid natural products. Although there is considerable emphasis on the completed syntheses of the main characters (FK506 (1), the antascomycins (4 and 5) and rapamycin (7)), the overall complexity of the molecular problem has stimulated a wealth of new knowledge, including the development of novel strategies and the invention of new synthetic methods. The ingenious and innovative approaches to these targets have enabled new generations of analogues, and provided material to further probe the biology of these fascinating molecules. With pharmaceutical application as an immunosuppressant, as well as potential use for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, this family of natural products continues to inspire new and interesting science while providing solutions to healthcare problems of the world.