Putative Diels-Alder-Catalyzed Cyclization during the Biosynthesis of Lovastatin

A Diels-Alder cyclization proposed to occur during polyketide synthase assembly of the bicyclic core of lovastatin (1) (mevinolin) by Aspergillus terreus MF 4845 was examined via the synthesis of the N-acetylcysteamine (NAC) thioester of [2,11-(13)C(2)]-(E,E,E)-(R)-6-methyldodecatri-2,8,10-enoate (5a). In vitro Diels-Alder cyclization of the corresponding unlabeled NAC ester 5b, ethyl ester 18b, and acid 20b yielded two analogous diastereomers in each case, under either thermal or Lewis acid-catalyzed conditions. The reaction of thioester 5 proceeds readily at 22 degrees C in aqueous media. For 18b, one product is trans-fused ethyl (1R,2R,4aS, 6R,8aR)-1,2,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-2,6-dimethylnaphthalene-1-carboxylate (30) (endo product), and the other is cis-fused ethyl (1R,2S,4aR,6R,8aR)-1,2,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-2,6-dimethylnaphthalene-1-carboxylate (31) (exo product). Isomer 21 with stereochemistry analogous to 4a,5-dihydromonacolin L (2), a precursor of 1, was made by transformation of a tricyclic lactone, (1S,2S,4aR,6S,8S,8aS)-1-(ethoxycarbonyl)-1,2,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-2-methyl-6,8-naphthalenecarbolactone (22) using reduction and Barton deoxygenation. Comparison of 21 with 30 and 31 confirmed the structural assignments and showed that the nonenzymatic 4 + 2 cyclizations of 5, 18, and 20 proceed via chairlike exo and endo transition states with the methyl substituent pseudoequatorial. The proposed biosynthetic Diels-Alder leading to lovastatin (1) would require an endo conformation with the methyl substituent pseudoaxial. Intact incorporation of the labeled hexaketide triene 5a into 1 was not achieved because of rapid degradation by A. terreus cells.