Catalytic Asymmetric Syntheses of Antifungal Sphingofungins and Their Biological Activity as Potent Inhibitors of Serine Palmitoyltransferase (SPT)

Unambiguous synthetic routes to sphingofungins B and F and to their stereoisomers have been developed based on the tin(II)-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reaction (Chiral Lewis Acid-Controlled Synthesis (CLAC Synthesis)). Efficient enantioselective synthesis using a catalytic amount of a chiral source as well as the effectiveness of this strategy for the synthesis of the sphingofungin family have been successfully demonstrated. Using the stereoisomers of sphingofungin B synthesized, the relevance of its stereochemistry to its SPT inhibitory activity has been revealed.