Evolution of a practical total synthesis of ciguatoxin CTX3C

More than 20 000 people suffer annually from ciguatera seafood poisoning in subtropical and tropical regions. The extremely low content of the causative neurotoxins, designated as ciguatoxins, in fish has hampered their isolation, detailed biological study, and preparation of anti-ciguatoxin antibodies for detecting these toxins. Ciguatoxins consist of 12 trans-fused polycyclic ethers, ranging from six- to nine-membered, and include a spirally attached five-membered cyclic ether at one end. The large (3 nm in length) and complicated molecular structure of ciguatoxins has impeded chemists from completing their total synthesis. In 2001, we achieved the first total synthesis of ciguatoxin CTX3C by assembly of four structural fragments. Since then, protocols to combine the fragments have significantly improved in terms of overall stereo-selectivity, efficiency, and practicality. In this Account, we describe recently evolved methodologies for the total synthesis of CTX3C.