Total synthesis of (-)-7-epicylindrospermopsin, a toxic metabolite of the freshwater cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon ovalisporum, and assignment of its absolute configuration

[GRAPHICS] The Z and E nitrones 38 and 39 from condensation of aldehyde 20 with hydroxylamine 36 underwent intramolecular dipolar cycloaddition to give the substituted 1-aza-7-oxobicyclo[2.2.1] heptanes 40 and 41 in a ratio of 2: 1, respectively. Reductive N-O bond cleavage of 40 followed by carbonylation gave cyclic urea 47 in which inversion of the secondary alcohol was effected via an oxidation-reduction sequence. After conversion of the p-bromobenzyl ether 50 to azide 54, activation of the cyclic urea as its O-methylisourea and reduction of the azide led to spontaneous cyclization to afford the tricyclic nucleus 59 of cylindrospermopsin. Global deprotection, including hydrolysis of the 2,4-dimethyoxypyrimidine appendage to a uracil, and then monosulfation of the resultant diol 60 afforded a substance identical with natural (-)-7-epicylindrospermopsin (1). The asymmetric synthesis of (-)-7-epicylindrospermopsin defines its absolute configuration as 7S,8R,10S,12S,13R,14S.