Synthesis of a Biomimetic Tetracyclic Precursor of Aspochalasins Allowing a Formal Synthesis of Trichoderone A

Aspochalasins are leucine-derived cytochalasins. Their complexity is often associated to a high degree of biosynthetic oxidative transformations that could inspire a two-phase strategy in total synthesis. In that context, we describe the synthesis of a putative biomimetic tetracyclic intermediate. The key constructive steps are an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction to install the characteristic isoindolone core of cytochalasins, whose branched precursor was obtained from a stereoselective Ireland-Claisen rearrangement made on a highly unsaturated substrate. This work also constitutes a formal synthesis of trichoderone A.