Biological production of acetal or ketal substituted benzene compounds

摘要

Meta-hydroxyphenylacetylenes are produced from phenyl-substituted ketal or acetal precursors. Using biotransformation processes, these precursors serve as substrates that are converted to cis-dihydrodiol intermediates. The cis-dihydrodiols can be converted chemically to the corresponding meta-substituted compounds, e.g., meta-substituted phenols, and then to m-hydroxyphenylacetylene, which is an intermediate needed to produce acetylene-terminated resins. The biotransformation step employs arene-2,3-dioxygenase in intra- or extra- cellular form.