BIO-INTERMEDIATES FOR USE IN THE CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF POLYKETIDES

摘要

The present invention relates to compounds made by a subset of modules from one or more polyketide synthase ("PKS") genes that are used as starting material in the chemical synthesis of novel molecules, particularly naturally occurring polyketides or derivatives thereof. The biologically derived intermediates ("bio-intermediates") generally represent particularly difficult compounds to synthesize using traditional chemical approaches due to one or more stereocenters. In one aspect of the invention, an intermediate in the synthesis of epothilone is provided that feeds into the synthetic protocol of Danishefsky and co-workers. In another aspect of the invention, intermediates in the synthesis of discodermolide are provided that feed into the synthetic protocol of Smith and co-workers. By taking advantage of the inherent stereochemical specifity of biological processes, the syntheses of key intermediates and thus the overall syntheses of compounds like epothilone and discodermolide are greatly simplified.