The tunicamycins constitute a delicate mimic of the bisubstrate intermediates of N-acetyl-D-hexosamine-1-phosphate translocases and thus inhibit bacterial cell-wall synthesis and the N glycosylation of eukaryotic proteins. An efficient approach to the synthesis of this unique type of nucleoside antibiotics is now reported and features the assembly of five modules in a highly stereoselective and robust manner. A Mukaiyama aldol reaction, intramolecular acetal formation, gold(I)-catalyzed O and N glycosylation, and final N acylation were used as the key steps.
Keywords: glycosylation; gold; nucleosides; total synthesis; tunicamycin.
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