The 90 kDa heat shock proteins (Hsp90) are responsible for the conformational maturation of nascent polypeptides and the renaturation of denatured proteins. In transformed cells, numerous mutated and overexpressed proteins rely on the Hsp90 protein folding machinery for tumor progression. The Hsp90-mediated protein folding process is dependent upon ATP, and when inhibitors of ATP are present, the Hsp90 machinery is unable to fold client proteins into their biologically active form, which results in the degradation of protein substrates via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Consequently, Hsp90 has evolved into a promising anti-cancer target because multiple oncogenic proteins can be simultaneously degraded as a consequence of Hsp90 inhibition. This review serves to explain the Hsp90 protein folding process, the impact of Hsp90 inhibition, the identification of natural product inhibitors, and the development of rationally designed inhibitors of the Hsp90 protein folding machinery.

Hsp90 inhibitors: small molecules that transform the Hsp90 protein folding machinery into a catalyst for protein degradation.

A Formal [3 + 3] Cycloaddition Approach to Natural-Product Synthesis

Starting from a common lactam, (3R,8aS)-5-oxo-3-phenyl-2,3,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-5H-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridine (1), or its enantiomer, the enantioselective synthesis of 2-alkylpiperidines and cis- and trans-2,6-dialkylpiperidines is reported. The potential of this approach is illustrated by the synthesis of the piperidine alkaloids (R)-coniine, (2R,6S)-dihydropinidine, (2R,6R)-lupetidine, and (2R,6R)-solenopsin A, the indolizidine alkaloids (5R,8aR)-indolizidine 167B and (3R,5S,8aS)-monomorine I, and the nonnatural base (4R,9aS)-4-methylquinolizidine.

Enantioselective synthesis of piperidine, indolizidine, and quinolizidine alkaloids from a phenylglycinol-derived delta-lactam.

Synthesis and study of antibacterial and antifungal activities of novel 1-[2-(benzoxazol-2-yl)ethoxy]- 2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-ones.

A general method for the preparation of enantiopure 2-alkene- or 2-alkyne-containing chain substituted piperidines was established by using nonracemic Betti base as a chiral auxiliary. The key step is that the auxiliary residue was removed by a novel base-catalyzed N-debenzylation via a formation of o-quinone methide mechanism in stead of the traditional hydrogenolysis, by which the alkene or alkyne groups survived. By this method, ten 2-alkene- or 2-alkyne-containing chain substituted piperidines were prepared on the gram scale within a few hours. To demonstrate the efficiency of the method and the versatility of the product, total syntheses of natural alkaloids (+)-pelletierine, (-)-lasubine II, and (+)-cermizine C were achieved by using (S)-2-allyl-N-Boc-piperidine as a versatile building block.

Preparation of enantiopure substituted piperidines containing 2-alkene or 2-alkyne chains: application to total syntheses of natural quinolizidine-alkaloids.

A novel C(2)-symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine carboxylic acid methyl ester as a promising chiral building block for piperidine-related alkaloids.

A novel C2-symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine carboxylic acid methyl ester 1 was prepared by the double asymmetric allylboration of glutaldehyde followed by an aminocyclization and carbamation. On the basis of desymmetrization of 1 using iodocarbamation, one allyl group of 1 was protected and monofunctionalizations of the resulting oxazolidinone 11 were performed. The reaction of the N-methoxycarbonyl piperidine 25 employing decarbamation reagent (n-PrSLi or TMSI) as a key step gave oxazolidinone 26 or 17 including an intramolecular ring formation, which was transformed in a few steps into (−)-porantheridine (2) and (−)-2-epi-porantheridine (3), respectively. In addition, the expedient synthesis of (+)-epi-dihydropinidine (4), (2R,6R)-trans-solenopsin A (5), and precoccinelline (6), starting from 11 is described.

A new route to trans-2,6-disubstituted piperidine-related alkaloids using a novel C2-symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine carboxylic acid methyl ester.

An asymmetric synthesis of (+)-indolizidine 209D (2) using C- 2 -symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine (1) as a chiral building block is presented in a straightforward fashion.

Motohiro Ichinose

Papers

A novel C(2)-symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine carboxylic acid methyl ester as a promising chiral building block for piperidine-related alkaloids.

A new route to trans-2,6-disubstituted piperidine-related alkaloids using a novel C2-symmetric 2,6-diallylpiperidine carboxylic acid methyl ester.

A Concise Synthesis of (+)-Indolizidine 209D Using a C2-Symmetric 2,6-Diallylpiperidine