The histone deacetylase inhibitor, largazole 1 was synthesized by a convergent approach which involved several efficient and high yielding single pot multistep protocols. Initial attempts using t-butyl as thiol protecting group proved problematic and synthesis was accomplished by switching to trityl protecting group. This synthetic protocol provides a convenient approach to many new largazole analogues. Three side chain analogues with multiple heteroatoms for chelation with Zn2+ were synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated. They were less potent than largazole 1 in growth inhibition of HCT116 colon carcinoma cell line and in inducing increases in global H3 acetylation. Largazole 1 and the three side chain analogues had no effect on HDAC6 as indicated by the lack of increased acetylation of α-tubulin.

Stereoselective total syntheses of two novel conformationally restrained epothilone analogues are described. Evans asymmetric alkylation, Brown allylation, and a diastereoselective aldol reaction served as the key steps in the stereoselective synthesis of one of the two key fragments of the convergent synthetic approach.Enzyme resolution was employed to obtain the second fragment as a single enantiomer. The molecules were assembled by esterification, followed by ring-closing metathesis. In preliminary cytotoxicity studies, one of the analogues showed strong and selective growth inhibitory activity against two leukemia cell lines over solid human tumor cell lines. The precise biological mechanism of action and high degree of selectivity of this analogue remain to be examined.