The Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Heterocyclic Derivatives of Totarol

The synthesis and antimicrobial activity of heterocyclic analogues of the diterpenoid totarol are described. An advanced synthetic intermediate with a ketone on the A-ring is used to attach fused heterocycles, and a carbon-to-nitrogen atom replacement is made on the B-ring by de nova synthesis. A-ring analogues with an indole attached exhibit, for the first time, enhanced antimicrobial activity relative to the parent natural product. Preliminary experiments demonstrate that the indole analogues do not target the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ as had been hypothesized for totarol.